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Knowing how things might have been

Jago, Mark

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MARK JAGO MARK.JAGO@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Professor of Philosophy



Abstract

I know that I could have been where you are right now and that you could have been where I am right now, but that neither of us could have been turnips or natural numbers. This knowledge of metaphysical modality stands in need of explanation. I will offer an account based on our knowledge of the natures, or essences, of things. I will argue that essences need not be viewed as metaphysically bizarre entities; that we can conceptualise and refer to essences; and that we can gain knowledge of them. We can know about which properties are, and which properties are not, essential to a given entity. This knowledge of essence offers a route to knowledge of the ways those entities must be or could be.

Citation

Jago, M. (2021). Knowing how things might have been. Synthese, 198(S8), 1981–1999. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-018-1869-6

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 8, 2018
Online Publication Date Jul 14, 2018
Publication Date 2021-04
Deposit Date Jul 20, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Synthese
Print ISSN 0039-7857
Electronic ISSN 1573-0964
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 198
Issue S8
Pages 1981–1999
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-018-1869-6
Keywords Essence ; Nature; Modality; Knowledge; Modal epistemology; Kit Fine; Essential bundle theory
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/931344
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11229-018-1869-6

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