Philosophy of the Possible

Mikhail Epstein, Ph.D. (1990), Academy of Sciences, USSR; S.C.Dobbs Professor of Cultural Theory and Russian literature at Emory University (USA). He has published 35 books and hundreds of articles in philosophy and cultural and literary studies translated into 23 languages.

• PrefaceIntroduction: Fundamental Concepts of the Theory of the Possible1 The Problem of Modalities in Contemporary Thought2 A Preliminary Definition of the Modality of the Possible3 The Ontological Status of Possible Worlds. Nominalism and Realism4 The Principle of “Fullness” and the Problem of Realization of Possibilities5 Duality and “Demonism” of the Possible6 A Possibilistic Approach to the Possible7 The Plan of the BookPart 1: The Possible in Philosophy1 Criticism and Activism2 Philosophy and Reality3 Change of Modalities in the History of Philosophy4 Philosophy as Possibilistic Thinking5 The Area of the Thinkable: the Value of Thinking in Itself6 Theory, Utopia, and Hypothesis7 Catharsis of Thinking8 Personified Thinking9 Possible and Impossible: Aporia of Thinking10 Language, Thinking, and Signifiability11 Universals as Potentials: Conceptualism12 From the General to the Concrete and Universal13 Multiplication of Entities14 Philosophy as Parody and GrotesquePart 2: The Fate of Metaphysics: from Deconstruction to PossibilizationIntroduction to Part 2Section 2.1: Reverse Metaphysics: Critique and Deconstruction15 Beyond Being and Nothingness: the Feeling of the Possible16 A World View, Not a Point of View: “A Net with No Knots”17 The Possible in Jean Derrida18 The Metaphysics of Deconstruction: the Main Terms19 The Radical Nature of Difference: Profit and Transcendence20 Center and Structure21 Reverse Metaphysics: the Other, the Play, and the Writing22 Différance and the TaoSection 2.2: Construction and Possibilization23 From Deconstruction to Construction24 Construction and Creativity25 De- and Con-26 Potentiation as Method: Eros of Thinking27 What is “The Interesting”? Proposed Criteria28 Small Metaphysics: the UniquePart 3: The Worlds of the PossibleIntroduction to Part 329 Society30 Culture31 Ethics32 Psychology33 ReligionConclusionAppendixTo be Able, to be, and to Know. A System of Modalities1Definitions of ModalityA Typical DefinitionsB The Specific Definition2Оntic Modalities (Modalities of Being)A “To Be” and “To Be Able” in the Ontological and Modal PerspectivesB Existence and Non-existence C The Possible and the ContingentD The Impossible and the NecessaryE Strong and Weak ModalitiesF The General Scheme of Ontic ModalitiesG Supermodalities: The Due and the Miraculous3Еpistemic Modalities (Modalities of Knowledge)4Pure (Potentialistic) ModalitiesA Active Voice (Capacity, Need)B Passive Voice (Permission, Coercion)C Second-order Modalities(1)Will and Power(2)Desire and Love5The Final Tables of Modalities6Modal Categories in Various DisciplinesA Be Able – Possess – Have Value. Modality in EconomicsB Necessity and Immortality: Modality in Eschatology7Potentiology: Prospects for the New DisciplineIndex of NamesIndex of Subjects