On Linking Dispositions and Which Conditionals?

Mind 120 (480):1173-1189 (2011)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Manley and Wasserman (2008) have provided a convincing case against analyses of dispositions in terms of one conditional, and a very interesting positive proposal that links any disposition to a ‘suitable proportion’ of a particular set of precise conditionals. I focus on their positive proposal and ask just how precise those conditionals are to be. I argue that, contrary to what Manley and Wasserman imply in their paper, they must be maximally specific, describing in their antecedents complete centred worlds. This suggests a natural semantics for dispositional expressions, which I briefly explore to argue that it lacks uniformity. I end by suggesting a variation on Manley and Wasserman's view which would preserve uniformity, though at the cost of some new puzzling questions.

Similar books and articles

Multi‐track dispositions.Barbara Vetter - 2013 - Philosophical Quarterly 63 (251):330-352.
A gradable approach to dispositions.David Manley & Ryan Wasserman - 2007 - Philosophical Quarterly 57 (226):68–75.
The Counterexample Fallacy.D. Bonevac, J. Dever & D. Sosa - 2011 - Mind 120 (480):1143-1158.
What is a Dispositional Masker?S. Choi - 2011 - Mind 120 (480):1159-1171.
Dispositions, conditionals and auspicious circumstances.Justin C. Fisher - 2013 - Philosophical Studies 164 (2):443-464.
Unfinkable dispositions.Toby Handfield - 2008 - Synthese 160 (2):297 - 308.
Dispositions and subjunctives.Jesse R. Steinberg - 2010 - Philosophical Studies 148 (3):323 - 341.

Analytics

Added to PP
2012-04-13

Downloads
626 (#26,142)

6 months
94 (#41,929)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Barbara Vetter
Freie Universität Berlin

Citations of this work

Agents’ Abilities.Romy Jaster - 2020 - Berlin, New York: De Gruyter.
Dispositions without Conditionals.Barbara Vetter - 2014 - Mind 123 (489):129-156.
Disposition Ascriptions.Simona Aimar - 2019 - Philosophical Studies 176 (7):1667-1692.

View all 15 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

How to speak of the colors.Mark Johnston - 1992 - Philosophical Studies 68 (3):221-263.
Scorekeeping in a Language Game.David Lewis - 1979 - Journal of Philosophical Logic 8 (3):339.
Finkish dispositions.David Kellogg Lewis - 1997 - Philosophical Quarterly 47 (187):143-158.
What 'must' and 'can' must and can mean.Angelika Kratzer - 1977 - Linguistics and Philosophy 1 (3):337--355.
Dispositions and conditionals.C. B. Martin - 1994 - Philosophical Quarterly 44 (174):1-8.

View all 11 references / Add more references