Economics Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Modal properties: are properties that are not attributed actually to an object, but are attributed in a possible world. A modal property is e.g. the property of being happier under other circumstances. The question is whether an object in the actual world must have a certain quality in order to have different properties in another world. See also modal logic, modal realism, possible worlds, centered worlds, contingency, possibility, necessity, properties, extensionality._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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John Bigelow on Modal Properties - Dictionary of Arguments
I 126 Property, modal/possible worlds/existence/Bigelow/Pargetter: sometimes it is said that for an object to have a property, it must exist. That excludes fictional objects. >Possible worlds, >Barcan formula. BigelowVs. Bigelow/Pargetter: if we were to demand this, we would demand that an individual in the possible world w be mapped to a set of possible worlds all containing this individual. In this case, an n-digit predicate could not be mapped if there are not n individuals in one and the same possible world. This is worth investigating, even if modal realism rejects it. >Modal Realism. I 203 Instantiation/Existence/Bigelow/Pargetter: thesis: even uninstantiated properties exist. It is they who constitute the possible world. >Instantiation. Possible worlds/Bigelow/Pargetter: are universals. Namely, complex structural universals. (see above Chapter 2, for example, chemical molecules: several universals are represented there with several instantiations, but a universal never occurs more than once in a constellation.) >Universals Possibility/Property/Bigelow/Pargetter: one could argue that not every uninstantiated property is possible. There can only be non-contradictory properties. So modal terms come in again. >Possibility, >Properties. Solution/Bigelow/Pargetter: there are simply no contradictory properties. That is why we are saving the modality here. Certainly there are contradictory predicates, but they do not correspond to universals. >Predicates, >Contradictions, >Modality._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Big I J. Bigelow, R. Pargetter Science and Necessity Cambridge 1990 |
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> Counter arguments against Bigelow
> Counter arguments in relation to Modal Properties
