Things mere mortals can do, but philosophers can't

Citation

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

Keywords
time travel; grandfather paradox; David Lewis; intentions; action theory; toxin puzzle

Journal
Analysis: Volume 75, Issue 1