A Causal Theory of Modality

This work presents a causal conception of metaphysical modality in which a state of affairs is metaphysically possible if and only if it can be caused (in the past, the present or the future) by current entities. The conception is contrasted with what is called the “combinatorial” conception of moda...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: José Tomás Alvarado
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2009-08-01
Series:Ideas y Valores
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ideasyvalores.unal.edu.co/archivos/PDF140/14_alvarado.pdf
Description
Summary:This work presents a causal conception of metaphysical modality in which a state of affairs is metaphysically possible if and only if it can be caused (in the past, the present or the future) by current entities. The conception is contrasted with what is called the “combinatorial” conception of modality, in which everything can co-exist with anything else. This work explains how the notion of ‘causality’ should be construed in the causal theory, what difference exists between modalities thus defined from nomological modality, how accessibility relations between possible worlds should be interpreted, and what is the relation between the causal conception and the necessity of origin.
ISSN:0120-0062