Author Description
Modal realism says that non-actual possible worlds and individuals are as real as the actual world and individuals. Takashi Yagisawa defends modal realism of a variety different from David Lewis's theory. The notion of reality is left primitive and sharply distinguished from that of existence, which is proposed as a relation between a thing and a domain. Worlds are postulated as modal indices for truth on a par with times, which are temporal indices for truth. Ordinary individual objects are conceived as being extended in spatial, temporal, and modal dimensions, and their transworld identity is explicated by the closest-continuer theory. Impossible worlds and individuals are postulated and used to provide accounts of propositions, belief sentences, and fictional discourse.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the ontological status of possible and impossible worlds by proposing a modal realism that diverges from the established Lewisian framework. Takashi Yagisawa, a philosopher specializing in metaphysics and logic, constructs a theory that treats reality as a primitive concept distinct from existence. By utilizing the closest-continuer theory, the author argues for a multidimensional view of objects that extends across spatial, temporal, and modal domains to address complex problems in semantics and belief.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A formal defense of modal realism incorporating impossible worlds.
- The closest-continuer theory applied to transworld identity.
- A distinction between the concepts of reality and existence.
- Theoretical applications for belief sentences and fictional discourse.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide an introductory overview of modal logic for lay readers.
- It does not engage extensively with non-analytic philosophical traditions regarding modality.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars in the field of analytic metaphysics recognize this text as a significant contribution to the discourse on modal realism and the semantics of impossible worlds. Readers frequently note the high level of technical density and the rigorous logical structure required to follow the author's arguments.
Page Count:
326
Publication Date:
2010-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191573574
ISBN-13:
9780191573576
Philosophy
Realism
Modality logic
Modal Logic
Ontology
Metaphysics
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