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    Lewis's 'can' is indexical to a set of facts: the travele... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→A time traveler is unable to retro-kill a person who is alive at the time of the attempted killing

    Lewis's 'can' is indexical to a set of facts: the traveler CAN kill relative to their abilities, skills, and proximity to the target.

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    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Modal claims like 'can' vary by context: 'I can speak French' means different things to a native vs. learner, supporting indexicality.
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    • 2.Ability-based 'can' must be sensitive to actual capacities; indexing to skills/proximity makes 'can' statements empirically verifiable.
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    • 3.Lewis's framework explains why the same action is possible for one agent but not another in identical logical/metaphysical circumstances.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.If 'can' is fully indexical to local facts, distant obstacles shouldn't affect possibility; yet they intuitively do matter for truth.
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    • 2.Indexicality conflates epistemic limitations (what we know about abilities) with metaphysical facts (what's genuinely possible).
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    • 3.Lewis's view risks making 'can' subjective or pragmatic rather than objective, undermining its use in logic, law, and moral responsibility.
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    Connections

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    Modality & Possibility1 linkedMoral Responsibility1 linked

    Related

    A time traveler is unable to retro-kill a person who is alive at the time of the...Ability-based 'can' must be sensitive to actual capacities; indexing to skills/p...If 'can' is fully indexical to local facts, distant obstacles shouldn't affect p...Indexicality conflates epistemic limitations (what we know about abilities) with...
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    Lewis's framework explains why the same action is possible for one agent but not...Lewis's view risks making 'can' subjective or pragmatic rather than objective, u...Modal claims like 'can' vary by context: 'I can speak French' means different th...

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    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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