Metaphysical necessity dualism

The Metaphysical Necessity of Natural Laws

In this paper I will defend the thesis that natural laws are metaphysically necessary, i.e. obtain in every possible world. Metaphysical necessity and possibility are the unrestricted modalities in the semantical interpretation of the modal logic system S5, which I adopt in this paper. I shall defend the following definition of a law of nature: (D 1) L is a natural law if and only if (i) L obta...

Peacocke’s Epiphany: A Possible Problem for Semantic Approaches to Metaphysical Necessity

Metaphysical Minimalism

Properties and facts play a central role within metaphysics, yet there is no widely accepted account of what constitutes a property or a fact. Traditional conceptions of these metaphysical notions raise serious philosophical puzzles, making the existence of each seem dubious. Drawing on the minimalist theory of truth, I argue in favor of a minimalist conception of properties and facts. A minima...

Metaphysical Causation

There is a systematic and suggestive analogy between grounding and causation. In my view, this is no coincidence: grounding and causation resemble one another because grounding is a type of causation. I defend the identification of grounding with metaphysical causation from some initial objections, and I draw on the causation literature to explore connections between grounding and counterfactua...

Metaphysical Geologist

James Croll (1821–90) occupies a prominent position in the history of physical geology, and his pioneering work on the causes of long-term climate change has been widely discussed. During his life he benefited from the patronage of leading men of science; his participation in scientific debates was widely acknowledged, not least through his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1876. For...