Modality and Tense : Philosophical Papers

## Abstract This book is collection of the the author’s previously published papers on the philosophy of modality and tense and it also includes three unpublished papers. The author provides an exposition and defence of certain positions for which he is well-known: the intelligibility of modality de re; the primitiveness of the modal; and the primacy of the actual over the possible. He also argues for some less familiar positions: the existence of distinctive forms of natural and normative necessity, not reducible to any form of metaphysical necessity; the need to make a distinction between the worldly and unworldly, analogous to the distinction between the tensed and the tenseless; and the viability of a nonstandard form of realism about tense, which recognizes the tensed character of reality without conceding there is any privileged standpoint from which it is to be viewed. Kit Fine has since the 1970s been one of the leading contributors to work at the intersection of logic and metaphysics. This is his eagerly-awaited first book in the area. It draws together a series of essays, three of them previously unpublished, on possibility, necessity, and tense. These puzzling aspects of the way the world is have been the focus of considerable philosophical attention in recent decades. Fine gives here the definitive exposition and defence of certain positions for which he is well known: the intelligibility of modality de re; the primitiveness of the modal; and the primacy of the actual over the possible. But the book also argues for several positions that are not so familiar: the existence of distinctive forms of natural and normative necessity, not reducible to any form of metaphysical necessity; the need to make a distinction between the worldly and the unworldly, analogous to the distinction between the tensed and the tenseless; and the viability of a non-standard form of realism about tense, which recognizes the tensed character of reality without conceding that there is any privileged standpoint from which it is to be viewed. Modality and Tense covers a wide range of topics from many different areas: the possible-worlds analysis of counterfactuals; the compatibility of special relativity with presentism; the implications of ethical naturalism; and the nature of first-personal experience. A helpful introduction orients the reader and offers a way into some of the most original work in contemporary philosophy. Contents......Page 7 Introduction......Page 10 I. Issues in the Philosophy of Language......Page 26 1. Reference, Essence, and Identity......Page 28 2. The Problem of De Re Modality......Page 49 3. Quine on Quantifying In......Page 114 II. Issues in Ontology......Page 140 4. Prior on the Construction of Possible Worlds and Instants......Page 142 5. Plantinga on the Reduction of Possibilist Discourse......Page 185 6. The Problem of Possibilia......Page 223 III. Issues in Metaphysics......Page 242 7. The Varieties of Necessity......Page 244 8. Tense and Reality......Page 270 9. Necessity and Non-Existence......Page 330 IV. Reviews......Page 364 10. Review of Counterfactuals......Page 366 11. Review of The Nature of Necessity......Page 375 References......Page 380 C......Page 388 F......Page 389 L......Page 390 N......Page 391 P......Page 392 R......Page 393 S......Page 394 W......Page 395 Книга Modality and Tense: Philosophical Papers Modality and Tense: Philosophical Papers Книги Психология, философия Автор: Kit Fine Год издания: 2005 Формат: pdf Издат.:Oxford University Press Страниц: 396 Размер: 1,4 ISBN: 0199278709 Язык: Английский0 (голосов: 0) Оценка:Since the 1970s Kit Fine has been one of the leading contributors to work at the intersection of logic and metaphysics. This is his eagerly-awaited first book in the area. It draws together a series of essays, three of them previously unpublished, on possibility, necessity, and tense. These puzzling aspects of the way the world is have been the focus of considerable philosophical attention in recent decades. A helpful introduction orients the reader and offers a way into some of the most original work in contemporary philosophy. Contents 7 Introduction 10 I. Issues in the Philosophy of Language 26 1. Reference, Essence, and Identity 28 2. The Problem of De Re Modality 49 3. Quine on Quantifying In 114 II. Issues in Ontology 140 4. Prior on the Construction of Possible Worlds and Instants 142 5. Plantinga on the Reduction of Possibilist Discourse 185 6. The Problem of Possibilia 223 III. Issues in Metaphysics 242 7. The Varieties of Necessity 244 8. Tense and Reality 270 9. Necessity and Non-Existence 330 IV. Reviews 364 10. Review of Counterfactuals 366 11. Review of The Nature of Necessity 375 References 380 Index 388 A 388 B 388 C 388 D 389 E 389 F 389 G 390 H 390 I 390 J 390 K 390 L 390 M 391 N 391 O 392 P 392 Q 393 R 393 S 394 T 395 U 395 V 395 W 395

Since the 1970s Kit Fine has been one of the leading contributors to work at the intersection of logic and metaphysics. This is his eagerly-awaited first book in the area. It draws together a series of essays, three of them previously unpublished, on possibility, necessity, and tense. These puzzling aspects of the way the world is have been the focus of considerable philosophical attention in recent decades. A helpful introduction orients the reader and offers a way into some of the most original work in contemporary philosophy.

Drawing together a series of essays on possibility, necessity, and tense, this book covers areas, such as: the possible-worlds analysis of counterfactuals; the compatibility of special relativity with presentism; and the nature of first-personal experience. It also argues for the existence of distinctive forms of natural and normative necessity. In this book, Kit Fine draws together a series of essays, three of them previously unpublished, on possibility, necessity, and tense