Truthmakers for Historiographic Counterfactuals

Abstract

I argue that active causal powers of agents in the historical past are the truthmakers for historiographic counterfactuals (HCFs). This paper ultimately finds all possible worlds theories wanting in light of the Humphrey Objection, which presses that these possible worlds fail as truthmakers for HCFs, and instead propose a Neo-Aristotelian powers account of truthmakers for HCFs. Drawing on recent developments in Neo-Aristotelian metaphysics, this theory maintains that active causal powers are the principles or starting points of change. Exploring the implications of a powers theory of HCFs, this paper distinguishes active and passive powers, drawing further distinctions between proximate and remote powers to address potential objections. Finally, this paper explicates principles of iterability, further supporting the powers’ theory’s plenitude of truthmakers for modal claims.