Read more
Zusatztext [an] intricate and exhilarating book... Informationen zum Autor Boris Kment received a BPhil from Oxford University and a PhD in philosophy from Princeton University, and has taught at the University of Michigan. He is currently assistant professor at Princeton. His main interests lie in metaphysics and epistemology and include modality, conditionals, essence, causation, explanation, and the metaphysical role of individuals. He has held fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. Klappentext Boris Kment takes a new approach to the study of modality that emphasises the origin of modal notions in everyday thought. He argues that the concepts of necessity and possibility originate in counterfactual reasoning, which allows us to investigate explanatory connections. Contrary to accepted views, explanation is more fundamental than modality. Zusammenfassung Boris Kment takes a new approach to the study of modality that emphasises the origin of modal notions in everyday thought. He argues that the concepts of necessity and possibility originate in counterfactual reasoning, which allows us to investigate explanatory connections. Contrary to accepted views, explanation is more fundamental than modality. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1: Synopsis 2: The Nature of Modality 3: Absolute Necessity and Iterated Modality 4: On the Contingency of Worlds 5: A Theory of Worlds 6: Essence, Laws, and Explanation 7: Metaphysical and Nomic Necessity 8: Standards of Closeness 9: Clarifications, Additions, and Objections 10: Causation, Nomic Determination, and the Counterfactual Test 11: On the Genealogy of Modality 12: Extensions and Limitations of the Counterfactual Test References Index
