Megarian Variable Actualism

Abstract

Megarian Actualism is the denial of unmanifesting powers. Aristotle called such a view ‘buffoonery’ and dispositionalists have provided compelling reasons for the contrary platitude that powers need not manifest. Even so, drawing on extant treatments of quantitative powers I’ll suggest that many of the powers which feature in quantitative lawlike equations are plausibly interpreted as Megarian. This is because the powers described by such equations are best understood as being directed towards all the values of exhaustive manifestation variables. I’ll discuss the prospects for generalising these Megarian characteristics to powers not typically represented in strict quantitative terms. The result will be a strong basis for a scientifically informed and plausible dispositionalist account: Megarian Variable Actualism.

Dispositions and Powers

“…On the grounding view of powers, powers are properties that fully and directly ground dispositions and hence which are metaphysically necessarily connected with those dispositions. 56 Coates (2021,8357) says that the grounding is 'at least partial' because powers are responsible for dispositions only in conjunction with certain 'partner powers' (Heil 2003;Ingthorsson 2013;Martin 1997; Yates 2016). The problem with this is that quiddities (i.e., paradigm non-powers) could be understood as partially grounding dispositions (in conjunction with governing laws if you are an Armstrongian or the spatio-temporal distribution of properties and facts about possible worlds if you are a Lewisian).…”