Ideas from 'Causal and Metaphysical Necessity' by Sydney Shoemaker [1998], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Identity, Cause and Mind' by Shoemaker,Sydney [OUP 2003,0-19-926470-8]].

green numbers give full details    |     back to texts     |     expand these ideas

---

5. Theory of Logic / I. Semantics of Logic / 3. Logical Truth

15091

Restrict 'logical truth' to formal logic, rather than including analytic and metaphysical truths

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 1. Nature of Properties

15095

A property's causal features are essential, and only they fix its identity

15097

I claim that a property has its causal features in all possible worlds

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 3. Powers as Derived

15094

I now deny that properties are cluster of powers, and take causal properties as basic

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 5. Metaphysical Necessity

15099

If something is possible, but not nomologically possible, we need metaphysical possibility

10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 1. A Priori Necessary

15101

Once you give up necessity as a priori, causal necessity becomes the main type of necessity

10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 4. Conceivable as Possible / a. Conceivable as possible

15098

Empirical evidence shows that imagining a phenomenon can show it is possible

15100

Imagination reveals conceptual possibility, where descriptions avoid contradiction or incoherence

14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem

15096

'Grue' only has causal features because of its relation to green

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 5. Laws from Universals

15093

We might say laws are necessary by combining causal properties with Armstrong-Dretske-Tooley laws