Metaphysical necessity

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Metaphysical necessity is a property of the certainty with which a state of affairs emerges, given certain other existing states of affairs. Defined in a rather down-to-earth fashion, a state emerges with metaphysical necessity if and only if its emergence is completely determined by the circumstances given. Given the natural laws valid in our world, if I smash a glass against a stone wall, it will shatter by metaphysical necessity. Some authors, such as e.g. Kripke in 'Naming and Necessity', apply more special notions.

Alternatively, there is conceptual necessity, which is a certainty determined, not by facts in the world described, but by the meaning of the description given.

[edit] See also

• Modal logic