Emergentism and the Contingent Solubility of Salt
Journal
Theoria (Sweden)
Journal Volume
84
Journal Issue
4
Pages
309-324
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Abstract
Abstract Alexander Bird offers a powerful argument showing that, regardless of whether necessitarianism or contingentism about laws is true, salt necessarily dissolves in water. The argument is that the same laws of nature that are necessary for the constitution of salt necessitate the solubility of salt. This article shows that Bird's argument faces a serious objection if the possibility of emergentism – in particular, C. D. Broad's account – is taken into consideration. The idea is (roughly) that some emergent laws in some possible worlds may disrupt the solubility of salt without disrupting its constitution.
SDGs
Type
journal article