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Modal realism and modal conventionalism
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613737496608768 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Carzola, Dario Silvano |
| author2 | Smit, J. P. |
| author_browse | Carzola, Dario Silvano Smit, J. P. |
| author_facet | Smit, J. P. Carzola, Dario Silvano |
| author_sort | Carzola, Dario Silvano |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132095 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:54.381Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132095 Modal realism and modal conventionalism Carzola, Dario Silvano Smit, J. P. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. Applied Ethics. Modality (Theory of knowledge) Realism Convention (Philosophy) Ethical problems UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Do we conceptually carve the world into objects, or do objects exist distinctly by virtue of intrinsic characteristics? The modal realist argues that modal characteristics are objective features of the world, while the modal conventionalist contends that necessity and modal frameworks arise from our conceptual or linguistic conventions. This thesis examines these contrasting views through an analysis of Plantinga’s (1974) modal realism and Sidelle’s (1989) modal conventionalism. Between these positions, I will examine Quine’s (1966) critique of explaining logical truth by convention, which challenges traditional conventionalism, as well as his rejection of quantified modal logic, impacting both sides of the debate. Plantinga makes the intuitive case for modal realism, and develops the kernel function to translate essentialist de re propositions into basic de dicto analogues. His aim is to show that de re and de dicto truths rise or fall together, making essentialist notions more difficult to dispense with. Sidelle, by contrast, argues that modality, and the resulting objects, are a product of the combination of empirical facts and general principles of individuation. However, such a view posits that objects arise from a real, mind-independent substructure of modally innocent material. Yet, can we coherently claim that this modally innocent stuff exists, and what could we possibly say about it? I agree with Carter and Bahde (1998) that such a notion is incoherent, and leads to a classic philosophical dilemma in which we must decide between a view with very little to say about mind-independent reality, and one which endows it with an inherent structure which is equally difficult to explain. Both views come with significant costs, impacting our fundamental understanding of the world, and what it consists of. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2025-05-23T08:52:46Z 2025-05-23T08:52:46Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132095 Stellenbosch University 111 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Modality (Theory of knowledge) Realism Convention (Philosophy) Ethical problems UCTD Carzola, Dario Silvano Modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| title | Modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| title_full | Modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| title_fullStr | Modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| title_short | Modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| title_sort | modal realism and modal conventionalism |
| topic | Modality (Theory of knowledge) Realism Convention (Philosophy) Ethical problems UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132095 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carzoladariosilvano modalrealismandmodalconventionalism |