Abstract
The paper puts forward a theory of historical modalities that is framed in terms of possible continuations rather than possible worlds or histories. The proposal is tested as a semantic theory for a language with historical modalities, tenses, and indexicals.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Belnap, N. (1992). Branching space-time. Synthese, 92, 385–434. ‘Postprint’ archived at http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00001003.
Belnap, N. (2001). Double time references: Speech-act reports as modalities in an indeterminist setting. In F. Wolter, H. Wansing, M. de Rijke, & M. Zakharyaschev (Eds.), Advances in modal logic (Vol. 3, pp. 1–21).
Belnap, N. (2002). EPR-like “funny business” in the theory of branching space-times. In T. Placek & J. Butterfield (Eds.), Nonlocality and modality. NATO science series (pp. 293–315). Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Belnap, N. (2005a). Agents and agency in branching space-times. In D. Vanderveken (Ed.), Logic, thought, and action (pp. 291–313). Springer.
Belnap, N. (2005b). A theory of causation: causae causantes (originating causes) as inus conditions in branching space-times. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 56, 221–253.
Belnap, N. (2007). An indeterminist view on the parameters of truth. In T. Müller (Ed.), Philosophie der Zeit (pp. 87–113). Frankfurt: Klostermann.
Belnap, N., Perloff, M., & Xu, M. (2001). Facing the future. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Kowalski, T., & Placek, T. (1999). Outcomes in branching space-time and GHZ-Bell theorems. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 50, 349–375.
Müller, T. (2002). Branching space-time, modal logic and the counterfactual conditional. In T. Placek & J. Butterfield (Eds.), Nonlocality and modality. NATO science series (pp. 273–291). Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Müller, T. (2005). Probability theory and causation: A branching space-times analysis. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 56(3), 487–520.
Müller, T. (2010), Towards a theory of limited indeterminism in branching space-times. Journal of Philosophical Logic, 39(4), 395–423.
Müller, T., Belnap, N., & Kishida, K. (2008). Funny business in branching space-times: Infinite modal correlations. Synthese, 164(1), 141–159.
Øhrstrøm, P., & Hasle, P. F. V. (1995). Temporal logic: From ancient ideas to artificial intelligence. Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Placek, T., & Wroński, L. (2009). On infinite EPR-like correlations. Synthese, 167(1), 1–32.
Prior, A. (1967). Past, present, and future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Thomason, R. H. (1970). Indeterminist time and truth-value gaps. Theoria, 36(3), 264–281.
von Kutschera, F. (1986). Zwei Modallogische Argumente für den Determinismus: Aristoteles und Diodor. Erkenntnis, 24, 203–217.
Weiner, M., & Belnap, N. (2006). How causal probabilities might fit into our objectively indeterministic world. Synthese, 149(1), 1–36.
Wroński, L., & Placek, T. (2009). On Minkowskian branching structures. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 40, 251–258.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Dedicated to Nuel Belnap.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Placek, T. Possibilities Without Possible Worlds/Histories. J Philos Logic 40, 737–765 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10992-010-9159-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10992-010-9159-x