Sellars on modality: possible worlds and rules of inference
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11210%2F24%3A10490308" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11210/24:10490308 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=mi8IuAiNc6" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=mi8IuAiNc6</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09608788.2023.2242895" target="_blank" >10.1080/09608788.2023.2242895</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Sellars on modality: possible worlds and rules of inference
Original language description
This paper discusses the account of alethic modality as presented by Wilfrid Sellars in his earlier work from 1947 to 1958. Its aim is twofold. First, I discuss Sellars' analysis by exploring its historical relationship to Carnap's account of modality. I argue that Carnap's early syntactic treatment of modality profoundly influenced Sellars' own so-called 'regulist' account of modality in terms of rules of inference. Furthermore, it is suggested that Sellars' lesser-known possible worlds analysis was influenced by Carnap's later semantic account of modality. The second aim of the paper is a critical one. I raise a number of objections to Sellars' account of modality and argue that his account confronts some serious limitations. I also argue that Sellars does not provide a satisfying explanation of the relationship between his regulist account and his possible worlds analysis. I offer such an explanation by arguing that his regulist account should be understood as a pragmatic account of what is conveyed by the use of modal sentences, whereas his possible worlds analysis is a semantic account of the asserted content of modal statements. That is, the regulist account and the possible worlds analysis have different explanatory targets.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>SC</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
60301 - Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2024
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
British Journal for the History of Philosophy
ISSN
0960-8788
e-ISSN
1469-3526
Volume of the periodical
32
Issue of the periodical within the volume
3
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
26
Pages from-to
606-631
UT code for WoS article
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EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85168873594