Things mere mortals can do, but philosophers can't

Rennick, S. (2015) Things mere mortals can do, but philosophers can't. Analysis, 75(1), pp. 22-26. (doi: 10.1093/analys/anu097)

Abstract

David Lewis famously argued that the time traveller ‘can’ murder her grandfather, even though she never will: it is compossible with a particular set of facts including her motive, opportunity and skill (1976: 150). I argue that while ordinary agents ‘can’ under Lewis’s conception, philosophers cannot – the latter will not only fail to fulfill their homicidal intentions but also fail to form them in the first place.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Rennick, Dr Steph
• Authors: Rennick, S.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Philosophy
• Journal Name: Analysis
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 0003-2638
• ISSN (Online): 1467-8284