Efird, D. and Stoneham, T (2005) Genuine modal realism and the empty world. European Journal of Analytic Philosophy, 1 (1). pp. 21-37. ISSN 1845-8475
Abstract
We argue that genuine modal realism can be extended, rather than modified, so as to allow for the possibility of nothing concrete, a possibility we term ‘metaphysical nihilism’. The issue should be important to the genuine modal realist because, not only is metaphysical nihilism itself intuitively plausible, but also it is supported by an argument with pre-theoretically credible premises, namely, the subtraction argument. Given the soundness of the subtraction argument, we show that there are two ways that the genuine modal realist can accommodate metaphysical nihilism: (i) by allowing for worlds containing only spatiotemporal points and (ii) by allowing for a world containing nothing but the null individual. Oon methodological grounds, we argue that the genuine modal realist should reject the former way but embrace the latter way.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Philosophy (York) |
Depositing User: | York RAE Import |
Date Deposited: | 29 May 2009 15:33 |
Last Modified: | 29 May 2009 15:33 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | University of Rijeka, Faculty of Arts and Sciences |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:6045 |