{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]],"date-time":"2026-06-13T17:23:27Z","timestamp":1781371407237,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,31]],"date-time":"2018-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1517356800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,31]],"date-time":"2018-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1517356800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000777","name":"University of Leeds","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000777","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Synthese"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We propose a novel interpretation of Lewis on the analysis of modality that is constructed from primary sources, comprehensive and unprecedented (in toto). Our guiding precepts are to distinguish semantics from metaphysics, while respecting the inter-relations between them, and to discern whatever may be special, semantically or metaphysically, about the modal case. Following detailed presentation (Sect.\u00a02), we amplify and advocate our interpretation by providing a conforming genealogy of Lewis\u2019s theory of modality (Sect.\u00a03) and applying it to construct a detailed and newly illuminating version of the Lewisian theory of modality de re (Sect.\u00a04).<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s11229-018-1698-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,31]],"date-time":"2018-01-31T12:24:36Z","timestamp":1517401476000},"page":"4645-4668","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["(Once again) Lewis on the analysis of modality"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"197","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1286-6587","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John","family":"Divers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jade","family":"Fletcher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"1698_CR1","volume-title":"The reality of numbers: A physicalist\u2019s philosophy of mathematics","author":"J Bigelow","year":"1988","unstructured":"Bigelow, J. (1988). The reality of numbers: A physicalist\u2019s philosophy of mathematics. Oxford: Clarendon Press."},{"issue":"2","key":"1698_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1007\/s12136-009-0070-4","volume":"26","author":"S Berkovski","year":"2011","unstructured":"Berkovski, S. (2011). Lewis\u2019 reduction of modality. Acta Analytica, 26(2), 95\u2013114.","journal-title":"Acta Analytica"},{"issue":"8","key":"1698_CR3","first-page":"1","volume":"12","author":"RP Cameron","year":"2012","unstructured":"Cameron, R. P. (2012). Why Lewis\u2019s analysis of modality succeeds in its reductive ambitions. Philosophers\u2019 Imprint, 12(8), 1\u201321.","journal-title":"Philosophers\u2019 Imprint"},{"key":"1698_CR4","volume-title":"Reality and humean supervenience: Essays on the philosophy of David Lewis","author":"P Bricker","year":"2001","unstructured":"Bricker, P. (2001). Island universes and the analysis of modality. In G. Preyer & F. Siebelt (Eds.), Reality and humean supervenience: Essays on the philosophy of David Lewis. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield."},{"issue":"2","key":"1698_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9264.00010","volume":"97","author":"J Divers","year":"1997","unstructured":"Divers, J. (1997). The analysis of possibility and the possibility of analysis. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 97(2), 141\u2013160.","journal-title":"Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society"},{"issue":"2","key":"1698_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1111\/1746-8361.12017","volume":"67","author":"J Divers","year":"2013","unstructured":"Divers, J. (2013). The analysis of possibility and the extent of possibility. Dialectica, 67(2), 183\u2013200.","journal-title":"Dialectica"},{"issue":"491","key":"1698_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"861","DOI":"10.1093\/mind\/fzu088","volume":"123","author":"J Divers","year":"2014","unstructured":"Divers, J. (2014). The modal status of the Lewisian analysis of modality. Mind, 123(491), 861\u2013872.","journal-title":"Mind"},{"issue":"441","key":"1698_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1093\/mind\/111.441.15","volume":"111","author":"J Divers","year":"2002","unstructured":"Divers, J., & Melia, J. (2002). The analytic limit of genuine modal realism. Mind, 111(441), 15\u201336.","journal-title":"Mind"},{"issue":"1","key":"1698_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1093\/analys\/42.1.33","volume":"42","author":"G Forbes","year":"1982","unstructured":"Forbes, G. (1982). Canonical counterpart theory. Analysis, 42(1), 33\u201337.","journal-title":"Analysis"},{"issue":"3","key":"1698_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1093\/analys\/43.3.149","volume":"43","author":"G Forbes","year":"1983","unstructured":"Forbes, G. (1983). More on counterpart theory. Analysis, 43(3), 149\u2013152.","journal-title":"Analysis"},{"key":"1698_CR11","volume-title":"Possibility","author":"M Jubien","year":"2011","unstructured":"Jubien, M. (2011). Possibility. Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR12","first-page":"481","volume-title":"Themes from Kaplan","author":"D Kaplan","year":"1989","unstructured":"Kaplan, D. (1989). Demonstratives. In J. Almog, J. Perry, & H. Wettstein (Eds.), Themes from Kaplan (pp. 481\u2013563). Oxford: Oxford University Press. (1977)."},{"key":"1698_CR13","volume-title":"Naming and necessity","author":"SA Kripke","year":"1980","unstructured":"Kripke, S. A. (1980). Naming and necessity. Harvard: Harvard University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR14","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1966). An argument for the identity theory. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR15","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1968). Counterpart theory and quantified modal logic. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR16","volume-title":"Convention","author":"D Lewis","year":"1969","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1969). Convention. Oxford: Blackwell. (2002 paperback edition)."},{"key":"1698_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1970a). Anselm and actuality. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0002"},{"key":"1698_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1970b). General Semantics. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0012"},{"key":"1698_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1970c). How to define theoretical terms. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0006"},{"key":"1698_CR20","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1971). Counterparts of Persons and their bodies. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR21","volume-title":"Counterfactuals","author":"D Lewis","year":"1973","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1973a). Counterfactuals. Hoboken: Wiley. (2001 paperback edition)."},{"key":"1698_CR22","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1973b). Counterfactuals and comparative possibility. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 2, 1986). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR23","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1973c). Causation. In Philosophical Papers (Vol 2, 1986). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1974a). Radical interpretation. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0008"},{"key":"1698_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1974b). Tensions. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0014"},{"key":"1698_CR26","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1975). Languages and Language. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1979a). Attitudes De Dicto and De Se. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0010"},{"key":"1698_CR28","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1979b). Counterfactuals dependence and time\u2019s arrow. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 2, 1986). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR29","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1980a). A subjectivist\u2019s guide to objective chance. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 2, 1986). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1980b). Mad pain and martian pain. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/0195032047.003.0009"},{"key":"1698_CR31","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1981). What puzzling does not believe. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR32","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1983a). Extrinsic Properties. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR33","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1983b). New Work for a Theory of Universals. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR34","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1983c). Introduction. In Philosophical Papers (Vol. 1, 1983). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR35","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1984). Putnam\u2019s Paradox. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR36","volume-title":"On the plurality of worlds","author":"D Lewis","year":"1986","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1986). On the plurality of worlds. Hoboken: Wiley. (2001 paperback edition)."},{"key":"1698_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1080\/00048409212345101","volume":"70","author":"D Lewis","year":"1992","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1992). Review of D.M. Armstrong, a combinatorial theory of possibility. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 70, 211\u2013224.","journal-title":"Australasian Journal of Philosophy"},{"key":"1698_CR38","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1994a). Humean supervenience debugged. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR39","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1994b). Reduction of mind. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR40","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1997a). Finkish Dispositions. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR41","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (1997b). Naming the Colours. In Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press."},{"issue":"4","key":"1698_CR42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"602","DOI":"10.1111\/0029-4624.00354","volume":"35","author":"D Lewis","year":"2001","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (2001). Truthmaking and difference making. Nous, 35(4), 602\u201315.","journal-title":"Nous"},{"key":"1698_CR43","volume-title":"Real metaphysics: Essays in honour of D. H. Mellor.","author":"D Lewis","year":"2003","unstructured":"Lewis, D. (2003). Things qua truthmakers. In H. Lillehammer & G. Rodriguez-Pereyra (Eds.), Real metaphysics: Essays in honour of D. H. Mellor. Abingdon: Routledge."},{"key":"1698_CR44","volume-title":"Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind","author":"PM Livingston","year":"2005","unstructured":"Livingston, P. M. (2005). Functionalism and Logical Analysis. In D. W. Smith & A. L. Thomasson (Eds.), Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind. Oxford: Clarendon Press."},{"key":"1698_CR45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"215","DOI":"10.1093\/aristotelian\/91.1.215","volume":"91","author":"W Lycan","year":"1991","unstructured":"Lycan, W. (1991a). Two - No, Three - Conceptions of Possible Worlds. Proceedings of The Aristotelian Society, 91, 215\u201327.","journal-title":"Proceedings of The Aristotelian Society"},{"key":"1698_CR46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"212","DOI":"10.1080\/00048409112344651","volume":"69","author":"W Lycan","year":"1991","unstructured":"Lycan, W. (1991b). Pot bites Kettle: A reply to Miller. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 69, 212\u20133.","journal-title":"Australasian Journal of Philosophy"},{"issue":"1","key":"1698_CR47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1007\/s11098-012-0024-3","volume":"166","author":"B Maguire","year":"2013","unstructured":"Maguire, B. (2013). Defending David Lewis\u2019s modal reduction. Philosophical Studies, 166(1), 129\u2013147.","journal-title":"Philosophical Studies"},{"key":"1698_CR48","volume-title":"Conceptual analysis and philosophical naturalism","author":"P Menzies","year":"2009","unstructured":"Menzies, P., & Price, H. (2009). Is Semantics in the Plan? In D. Braddon-Mitchell & R. Nola (Eds.), Conceptual analysis and philosophical naturalism. Cambridge: MIT Press."},{"key":"1698_CR49","unstructured":"Millgram, E. (2015). Lewis\u2019s epicycles, possible worlds, and the mysteries of modality. In The great endarkenment (pp. 155\u2013187). Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1698_CR50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1093\/analys\/51.1.50","volume":"51","author":"RB Miller","year":"1991","unstructured":"Miller, R. B. (1991). Reply of a mad dog. Analysis, 51, 50\u20134.","journal-title":"Analysis"},{"key":"1698_CR51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1080\/00048409312345162","volume":"71","author":"RB Miller","year":"1993","unstructured":"Miller, R. B. (1993). Genuine modal realism: Still the only non-circular game in town. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 71, 159\u201360.","journal-title":"Australasian Journal of Philosophy"},{"key":"1698_CR52","volume-title":"Topics in the Philosophy of Possible Worlds","author":"D Nolan","year":"2002","unstructured":"Nolan, D. (2002). Topics in the Philosophy of Possible Worlds. Abingdon: Routledge."},{"key":"1698_CR53","volume-title":"The oxford handbook of metaphysics","author":"T Sider","year":"2003","unstructured":"Sider, T. (2003). Reductive theories of modality. In M. J. Loux & D. W. Zimmerman (Eds.), The oxford handbook of metaphysics. Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"issue":"4","key":"1698_CR54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.2307\/2186101","volume":"103","author":"SA Shalkowski","year":"1994","unstructured":"Shalkowski, S. A. (1994). The ontological ground of the alethic modality. Philosophical Review, 103(4), 669\u2013688.","journal-title":"Philosophical Review"}],"container-title":["Synthese"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1698-7\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1698-7.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1698-7.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,2]],"date-time":"2020-11-02T10:29:31Z","timestamp":1604312971000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1698-7"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,31]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,11]]}},"alternative-id":["1698"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1698-7","relation":{},"ISSN":["0039-7857","1573-0964"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0039-7857","type":"print"},{"value":"1573-0964","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,31]]},"assertion":[{"value":"4 April 2016","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"17 January 2018","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"31 January 2018","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}}]}}