Dispositions and subjunctives


Συγγραφέας: Jesse R. Steinberg


Jesse R. Steinberg: Dispositions and subjunctives (pdf, 19 pages)
It is generally agreed that dispositions cannot be analyzed in terms of simple subjunctive conditionals (because of what are called ‘‘masked dispositions’’ and ‘‘finkish dispositions’’). I here defend a qualified subjunctive account of dispositions according to which an object is disposed to U when conditions C obtain if and only if, if conditions C were to obtain, then the object would U ceteris paribus. I argue that this account does not fall prey to the objections that have been raised in the literature.