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What’s Metaphysical About Metaphysical Necessity? 1
Author(s) -
CAMERON ROSS P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
philosophy and phenomenological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1933-1592
pISSN - 0031-8205
DOI - 10.1111/j.1933-1592.2009.00264.x
Subject(s) - metaphysics , epistemology , philosophy , modal , accidental , a priori and a posteriori , position (finance) , philosophy of language , economics , physics , chemistry , finance , acoustics , polymer chemistry
I begin by contrasting three approaches one can take to the distinction between the essential and accidental properties: an ontological, a deflationary, and a mind‐dependent approach. I then go on to apply that distinction to the necessary a posteriori, and defend the deflationist view. Finally I apply the distinction to modal truth in general and argue that the deflationist position lets us avoid an otherwise pressing problem for the actualist: the problem of accounting for the source of modal truth.