The Modal Realist's Manifesto
The Modal Realist's Manifesto is a philosophical argument advocating that all possible worlds are as real as the actual world we live in. Modal realism suggests that every way a situation could potentially occur actually exists in its own separate universe. For instance, if you consider different outcomes of a decision you could have made, each outcome has its own distinct world where that outcome happens. This perspective offers a framework for understanding possibility, necessity, and the nature of reality, challenging us to think about the implications of alternate realities being just as valid as our own.
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The Modal Realist’s Manifesto, primarily attributed to philosopher David Lewis, proposes that all possible worlds are as real as the actual world we live in. Each world represents a different way things could have been, with its own unique history and events. According to this view, when we talk about "possible" scenarios—like different outcomes of a historical event—we're referring to these real, concrete worlds rather than mere hypothetical conjectures. This perspective reshapes our understanding of possibility, necessity, and counterfactuals, suggesting that everything that could happen does happen in some way across these various worlds.