Bryant, A. and Wilson, A. orcid.org/0000-0003-3027-5016 (2024) Modal Naturalism. In: Tahko, T. E., (ed.) Modal Naturalism: Science and the Modal Facts. Elements in Metaphysics . Cambridge University Press , Cambridge, UK , pp. 11-22. ISBN 978-1-009-46256-3
Abstract
How do we know what is possible or impossible, what is inevitable or unattainable, or what would happen under which circumstances? Since modal facts seem distinctively mysterious and difficult to know, the epistemology of modality has historically been fraught with uncertainty and disagreement. The literature has been dominated by rationalist approaches that emphasise a priori reasoning (sometimes including direct intuition of possibility). Only recently have alternative approaches emerged which recognize a broader range of sources of modal knowledge. Yet even emerging non-rationalist views have tended to assign scientific investigation at best a supporting role. Our project in this Element is to develop and defend a new approach to the epistemology of modal facts which assigns a central role to scientific investigation. According to modal naturalism, science (construed broadly) is our primary source of evidence concerning the modal facts.
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Item Type: | Book Section |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This item is protected by copyright. This is an author produced version of a book chapter published in Modal Naturalism Science and the Modal Facts. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | modal naturalism, naturalism, modal epistemology, naturalised modal metaphysics, science and modality |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 May 2024 08:36 |
Last Modified: | 19 Dec 2024 09:45 |
Published Version: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/modal-natu... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Series Name: | Elements in Metaphysics |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/9781009351645 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:212187 |
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Filename: Modal Naturalism Ch3.pdf
