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    An individual available as a value across non-actual worl... — Carmelics
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    Supports→KQML does not genuinely escape ontological commitment to possibilia despite invalidating BF, CBF, and BoxN

    An individual available as a value across non-actual worlds satisfies the functional definition of a possibilium, regardless of whether the object-language quantifiers range over it.

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    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Possibilia are individuated by their modal profile across possible worlds, independent of what any language happens to quantify over.
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    • 2.If an object plays the functional role of a possible individual (having properties in worlds, standing in cross-world relations), it qualifies as possibilium regardless of linguistic access.
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    • 3.Language-independence for abstract modal objects prevents arbitrary stipulation: what counts as possible shouldn't depend on our quantificational choices.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Quantificational range directly constitutes what we mean by 'available as a value'—entities outside our quantifiers aren't genuinely available to us at all.
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    • 2.Decoupling functional definition from quantificational scope creates ungrounded entities that play no explanatory role in semantics or metaphysics.
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    • 3.If an individual cannot be referenced or quantified over even in principle, calling it a 'possibilium' is metaphysically idle and violates parsimony.
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    Key Terms

    Functional definition(as a type of definition)
    A definition based on what something does or how it works, rather than what it's technically called—like defining a 'chair' by what it does (provides a place to sit) rather than its exact materials.
    Non-actual worlds(philosophical language for thinking about 'what if' situations)
    Imaginary or hypothetical scenarios that didn't really happen; ways things could have been different from reality.
    Possibilium(as used in metaphysics and modal logic)
    A thing that could exist or could have properties—basically, anything that's logically possible, even if it doesn't actually exist in the real world.
    Range over(as used in logic)
    To cover or apply to all items in a particular set or group.
    object-language quantifiers(logic and philosophy of language)
    Words like 'all' or 'some' in a logical statement that indicate how many things you're talking about—basically, whether a claim applies to everything or just some things.

    Connections

    2 topics

    Modality & Possibility1 linkedPhilosophy of Language1 linked

    Related

    Decoupling functional definition from quantificational scope creates ungrounded ...If an individual cannot be referenced or quantified over even in principle, call...If an object plays the functional role of a possible individual (having properti...KQML does not genuinely escape ontological commitment to possibilia despite inva...
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    Language-independence for abstract modal objects prevents arbitrary stipulation:...Possibilia are individuated by their modal profile across possible worlds, indep...

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    Quantificational range directly constitutes what we mean by 'available as a valu...