In defence of magical ersatzism

Philosophical Quarterly 56 (223):161–174 (2006)
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Abstract

David Lewis' objection to a generic theory of modality which he calls ‘magical ersatzism’ is that its linchpin, a relation he calls ‘selection’, must be either an internal or an external relation, and that this is unintelligible either way. But the problem he points out with classifying selection as internal is really just an instance of the general problem of how we manage to grasp underdetermined predicates, is not peculiar to magical ersatzism, and is amenable to some familiar solutions. He provides no compelling grounds for thinking that classifying selection as external is unintelligible, and his argument has a false presupposition. I conclude that magical ersatzism is still a viable option in the metaphysics of modality.

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reprint Denby, David A. (2006) "In Defence of Magical Ersatzism". In Denby, David A., Philosophical Quarterly, pp. 161-74: (2006)

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David A. Denby
Tufts University

Citations of this work

Mereology, modality and magic.Katherine Hawley - 2010 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 88 (1):117 – 133.
Trading Ontology for Ideology.Martin Vacek - 2020 - Acta Analytica 35 (3):405-420.

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References found in this work

Putnam’s paradox.David Lewis - 1984 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 62 (3):221 – 236.
Possible worlds.Robert C. Stalnaker - 1976 - Noûs 10 (1):65-75.
Against structural universals.David K. Lewis - 1986 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 64 (1):25 – 46.
Indexicality and actuality.Peter van Inwagen - 1980 - Philosophical Review 89 (3):403-426.
Reviews. [REVIEW]Denise Russell, Gail Tulloch & Genevieve Lloyd - 1986 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 64 (S1):139-147.

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