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Modality
A History provides readers a sweeping study of the history of philosophical work on modal concepts. Everyday discourse is saturated with appeals to what might be the case or to what must be true or to what cannot happen. Possibility, necessity, and impossibility are modal terms, and philosophers have long wondered how to best understand them. This volume traces the history of some of the most prominent and important contributions to our understanding of possibility and necessity over the past two and half millennia of western philosophy, from ancient Greek philosophers through current debates in the 21st century.
Over the course of nine chapters from prominent scholars, this volume traces a history of modal theorizing that begins with extended discussions of Aristotle and the Stoics. Several chapters discuss insights and disagreements among Latin, Arabic, and Jewish medieval scholastics, such as Al-Ghazâlî, Scotus, and Crescas. Three chapters center on early modern philosophers, whose modal views were deeply shaped by this conceptual inheritance but also departed from it in significant Descartes, Malebranche, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume. Kant and Hegel's modal contributions are presented in their own chapter, and another chapter traces the legacy of Kant's account on early-to-mid 20th century modal views, including Husserl, Heidegger, Russell, and Quine.
The revival of modal metaphysics in the more recent work of Kripke, Marcus, and Lewis has led to a new flourishing of modal theories, including in recent debates among neo-Aristotelians, as the final chapter illustrates. Although modal concepts are interesting and important on their own, theories of modality often intersect with other significant philosophical topics, such as time, freedom, and God. Modal concepts also extend beyond metaphysics. To illustrate the role of modality in other domains, several small-scale studies, or Reflections , are dispersed among these main chapters on modality in cosmology, religion, music, literature, and logic. Readers will learn how a seemingly timeless and changeless cluster of modal concepts have undergone significant revisions and enjoy a rich developmental history.
Over the course of nine chapters from prominent scholars, this volume traces a history of modal theorizing that begins with extended discussions of Aristotle and the Stoics. Several chapters discuss insights and disagreements among Latin, Arabic, and Jewish medieval scholastics, such as Al-Ghazâlî, Scotus, and Crescas. Three chapters center on early modern philosophers, whose modal views were deeply shaped by this conceptual inheritance but also departed from it in significant Descartes, Malebranche, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume. Kant and Hegel's modal contributions are presented in their own chapter, and another chapter traces the legacy of Kant's account on early-to-mid 20th century modal views, including Husserl, Heidegger, Russell, and Quine.
The revival of modal metaphysics in the more recent work of Kripke, Marcus, and Lewis has led to a new flourishing of modal theories, including in recent debates among neo-Aristotelians, as the final chapter illustrates. Although modal concepts are interesting and important on their own, theories of modality often intersect with other significant philosophical topics, such as time, freedom, and God. Modal concepts also extend beyond metaphysics. To illustrate the role of modality in other domains, several small-scale studies, or Reflections , are dispersed among these main chapters on modality in cosmology, religion, music, literature, and logic. Readers will learn how a seemingly timeless and changeless cluster of modal concepts have undergone significant revisions and enjoy a rich developmental history.
360 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2024
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August 10, 2026
Modality: A History offers a fascinating and comprehensive examination of one of philosophy's most enduring questions: what does it mean for something to be possible, necessary, or impossible? The editors bring together a broad historical perspective that shows how philosophers have approached these concepts differently across more than two thousand years. I found the chronological development particularly valuable because it demonstrates that ideas about possibility and necessity have continually evolved rather than remaining fixed.
The range of thinkers discussed gives the volume considerable depth. The journey from Aristotle and the Stoics through medieval philosophical traditions and early modern thinkers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume, and eventually to Kant, Hegel, and contemporary philosophers, provides a useful map of modal thought. The inclusion of topics connecting modality with time, freedom, religion, cosmology, music, literature, and logic also shows how widely these concepts extend beyond metaphysics.
Overall, this is a valuable resource for readers interested in metaphysics, philosophical history, logic, and the development of ideas about possibility and necessity. The volume succeeds in showing how a seemingly abstract subject has influenced many areas of philosophical inquiry. Readers who want to understand the historical foundations of contemporary debates about modality will find this collection both informative and intellectually rewarding.
The range of thinkers discussed gives the volume considerable depth. The journey from Aristotle and the Stoics through medieval philosophical traditions and early modern thinkers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume, and eventually to Kant, Hegel, and contemporary philosophers, provides a useful map of modal thought. The inclusion of topics connecting modality with time, freedom, religion, cosmology, music, literature, and logic also shows how widely these concepts extend beyond metaphysics.
Overall, this is a valuable resource for readers interested in metaphysics, philosophical history, logic, and the development of ideas about possibility and necessity. The volume succeeds in showing how a seemingly abstract subject has influenced many areas of philosophical inquiry. Readers who want to understand the historical foundations of contemporary debates about modality will find this collection both informative and intellectually rewarding.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review