Modal realism

Possible worlds are as real as the actual world

One of the key arguments for modal realism is its theoretical usefulness for modal reasoning and the ontological commitments implied by common expressions in natural language. For instance, when we say "it could have been," we are acknowledging the existence of other possible worlds where different outcomes are possible.

This concept challenges traditional notions of reality and expands our understanding of existence.

Related concepts

Scientific realism

Scientific realism posits unobservable entities have the same ontological status as observables

Gilles Deleuze

Deleuze's concept of 'the virtual' is central to his philosophy

Instrumentalism

Instrumentalism views scientific theories as useful tools, not as descriptions of unobservable reality

Twin Earth thought experiment

Twin Earth thought experiment illustrates semantic externalism

Theory of forms

Plato's Theory of Forms posits abstract perfect Forms are more real than physical copies

Parfit's teleporter thought experiment challenges about personal identity

Parfit's teleporter thought experiment challenges the notion that personal identity is tied to physical continuity

One email a day: 5 concepts + the 5 stories that matter →

Swipe through 100 ML concepts daily

Open TickerNews