The Many Faces of Impossibility

This Element answers the neglected question of what is characteristically impossible about impossible worlds.

Koji Tanaka (Author), Alexander Sandgren (Author)

9781009485944, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 March 2024

64 pages
23.6 x 16 x 0.8 cm, 0.242 kg

Possible worlds have revolutionised philosophy and some related fields. But, in recent years, tools based on possible worlds have been found to be limited in many respects. Impossible worlds have been introduced to overcome these limitations. This Element aims to raise and answer the neglected question of what is characteristically impossible about impossible worlds. The Element sheds new light on the nature of impossible worlds. It also aims to analyse the main features and utility of impossible worlds and examine how impossible worlds can capture distinctions which are unavailable if we limit ourselves to possible world-based tools.

1. Introduction
2. Conceptual prolegomenon
3. Difference
4. Openness
5. Violation
6. Difference, openness, violation
7. Counter possibles and Counter meta possibles
8. Representation
References.

Subject Areas: Philosophy: logic [HPL]