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    Necessary properties must be ones a thing could not fail ... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→The property 'actually being on David's right' is a necessary property of Paul, not a contingent one.

    Necessary properties must be ones a thing could not fail to have; Paul could have existed without David, so no relational property involving David can be necessary to Paul.

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    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Necessity entails metaphysical independence: if Paul's existence depends on David's, then Paul couldn't exist without David.
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    • 2.Possible worlds semantics confirms this: if we can coherently describe a world where Paul exists alone, relational properties to David aren't necessary.
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    • 3.Relational properties differ from intrinsic ones; only intrinsic properties are constitutive of an object's essential nature.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Some relational properties may be necessary despite counterfactual independence—e.g., being a number necessarily relates to abstract structure.
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    • 2.Conceivability doesn't guarantee metaphysical possibility; we might conceive Paul alone yet he still necessarily bears relational properties to all actual entities.
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    • 3.A thing's identity conditions can include necessary relations even when those relata needn't exist; Paul's identity as 'David's brother' is essential regardless.
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    Modality & Possibility1 linkedPersonal Identity1 linked

    Related

    A thing's identity conditions can include necessary relations even when those re...Conceivability doesn't guarantee metaphysical possibility; we might conceive Pau...Necessity entails metaphysical independence: if Paul's existence depends on Davi...Possible worlds semantics confirms this: if we can coherently describe a world w...
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    Relational properties differ from intrinsic ones; only intrinsic properties are ...Some relational properties may be necessary despite counterfactual independence—...The property 'actually being on David's right' is a necessary property of Paul, ...

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