Abstract

Kripke argues that the existence of a priori contingent truths shows the falsity of the traditional idea that the notions of necessity and a priority are coextensional. In this paper, I maintain that the traditional coexistensionality thesis is defendable. I contend that the propositions that are alleged to be a priori contingent truths by Kripke are propositions that express contingent facts and, at the same time, are necessarily true. That they are necessarily true is not because of their metaphysical aspects but in virtue of their epistemological properties. In regard to a priority, following Donnellan, I argue that Kripke’s fault can be explained by an appeal to the distinction between knowing that a certain sentence expresses a truth and knowing the truth of what is expressed by the sentence.