Imagery and Possibility

Abstract

We often ascribe possibility to the scenes that are displayed by mental or nonmental sensory images. The paper presents a novel argument for thinking that we are prima facie justified in ascribing metaphysical possibility to what is displayed by suitable visual images, and it argues that many of our imagery‐based ascriptions of metaphysical possibility are therefore prima facie justified. Some potential objections to the arguments are discussed, and some potential extensions of them, to cover nonvisual forms of imagery and nonmetaphysical forms of possibility, are endorsed.

Cartografía visual: creación de narrativas visuales colaborativas a partir de conexiones acerca del barrio Nou Llevant-Soledat Sud de Palma

“…La elaboración de mapas ha reforzado el mensaje de intersección y fomentado nuevos comportamientos, la aproximación de diferentes universos a través de imágenes, nos ha permitido la creación de narrativas y consecuentes mapas mentales. Estas imágenes dan una sensación de posibilidad, atribuyendo posibilidad física a lo que sea que la imagen muestre en virtud de evidenciar las cosas con una presencia significativa (Gregory, 2019).…”

The epistemic imagination revisited

“…Moreover, some have suggested that the manner in which the imagination functions in philosophical—specifically, metaphysical—contexts is continuous with its role in more everyday empirical ones (e.g. Gregory, 2020; Williamson, 2007, 2020). Thus, if we can show that the imagination supplies knowledge in the latter context, this opens a path toward showing that the imagination can play a productive epistemic role in more heavy‐duty counterfactual thinking, thought experimentation and the like.…”

Imagination in science

“…10 10 See Gregory (2020) for an argument that visual, mental imagery can be evidence for possibility when such images are “accurate”. …”

“…This therefore helps evade the worry that some models are "unimaginable" asWeisberg (2013) argues as such an objection assumes imagination to include the formation of mental pictures (see alsoMcLoone, 2019).10 SeeGregory (2020) for an argument that visual, mental imagery can be evidence for possibility when such images are "accurate".11 Another issue relating to the social dimensions of science concerns the importance of exercising the "moral imagination" when making value judgements(Brown, 2020). It will be interesting to see how this idea might be integrated with existing discussions of the imagination as presented here.…”