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Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin

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Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin. / Maung, Hane.
In: Metaphilosophy, Vol. 51, No. 5, 31.10.2020, p. 685-701.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Maung, H 2020, 'Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin', Metaphilosophy, vol. 51, no. 5, pp. 685-701. https://doi.org/10.1111/meta.12455

APA

Maung, H. (2020). Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin. Metaphilosophy, 51(5), 685-701. https://doi.org/10.1111/meta.12455

Vancouver

Maung H. Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin. Metaphilosophy. 2020 Oct 31;51(5):685-701. Epub 2020 Sept 23. doi: 10.1111/meta.12455

Author

Maung, Hane. / Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin. In: Metaphilosophy. 2020 ; Vol. 51, No. 5. pp. 685-701.

Bibtex

@article{314b619341804d38bf68313fcb0b9369,
title = "Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin",
abstract = "The necessity of origin suggests that a person{\textquoteright}s identity is determined by the particular pair of gametes from which the person originated. An implication is that speculative scenarios concerning how we might otherwise have been had our gametic origins been different are dismissed as being metaphysically impossible. Given, however, that many of these speculations are intelligible and commonplace in the discourses of competent speakers, it is overhasty to dismiss them as mistakes. This paper offers a way of understanding these speculations that does not commit them to incoherence but aims to make the best sense of what they are expressing. Using the philosophical framework of two-dimensional semantics, it proposes that the speculative scenarios are best analysed as epistemic possibilities, rather than as metaphysical possibilities. It then explores some implications of this analysis for the ethical challenges associated with the non-identity problem.",
author = "Hane Maung",
year = "2020",
month = oct,
day = "31",
doi = "10.1111/meta.12455",
language = "English",
volume = "51",
pages = "685--701",
journal = "Metaphilosophy",
issn = "0026-1068",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Epistemic possibility and the necessity of origin

AU - Maung, Hane

PY - 2020/10/31

Y1 - 2020/10/31

N2 - The necessity of origin suggests that a person’s identity is determined by the particular pair of gametes from which the person originated. An implication is that speculative scenarios concerning how we might otherwise have been had our gametic origins been different are dismissed as being metaphysically impossible. Given, however, that many of these speculations are intelligible and commonplace in the discourses of competent speakers, it is overhasty to dismiss them as mistakes. This paper offers a way of understanding these speculations that does not commit them to incoherence but aims to make the best sense of what they are expressing. Using the philosophical framework of two-dimensional semantics, it proposes that the speculative scenarios are best analysed as epistemic possibilities, rather than as metaphysical possibilities. It then explores some implications of this analysis for the ethical challenges associated with the non-identity problem.

AB - The necessity of origin suggests that a person’s identity is determined by the particular pair of gametes from which the person originated. An implication is that speculative scenarios concerning how we might otherwise have been had our gametic origins been different are dismissed as being metaphysically impossible. Given, however, that many of these speculations are intelligible and commonplace in the discourses of competent speakers, it is overhasty to dismiss them as mistakes. This paper offers a way of understanding these speculations that does not commit them to incoherence but aims to make the best sense of what they are expressing. Using the philosophical framework of two-dimensional semantics, it proposes that the speculative scenarios are best analysed as epistemic possibilities, rather than as metaphysical possibilities. It then explores some implications of this analysis for the ethical challenges associated with the non-identity problem.

UR - https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/epistemic-possibility-and-the-necessity-of-origin(421c36d5-eff6-4c6c-b9e8-984739e37067).html

U2 - 10.1111/meta.12455

DO - 10.1111/meta.12455

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 685

EP - 701

JO - Metaphilosophy

JF - Metaphilosophy

SN - 0026-1068

IS - 5

ER -