Dispositions and Powers

This Element analyses dispositions and powers and how they might metaphysically explain laws of nature and modality.

Toby Friend (Author), Samuel Kimpton-Nye (Author)

9781009113014, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 July 2023

75 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.5 cm, 0.147 kg

As we understand them, dispositions are relatively uncontroversial 'predicatory' properties had by objects disposed in certain ways. By contrast, powers are hypothetical 'ontic' properties posited in order to explain dispositional behaviour. Chapter 1 outlines this distinction in more detail. Chapter 2 offers a summary of the issues surrounding analysis of dispositions and various strategies in contemporary literature to address them, including one of our own. Chapter 3 describes some of the important questions facing the metaphysics of powers including why they're worth positing, and how they might metaphysically explain laws of nature and modality. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

1. Introduction
2. Dispositions
3. Powers
References.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]