Representation, Identity, and Modalities
Résumé
An obvious paradox rises up with physical representations like statues or photographs: one and the same object can exemplify some property P as such, while not exemplifying P as represented. Of course, the issue is not that of the discernability between the object o and its representation r. The Eiffel Tower is made of steel whereas its copies can be made of plastic and its photos of paper, and one cannot confuse the original with its copies and representations. But how account for the fact that the Eiffel Tower might actually be illuminated by the sun, while not being so according to the photograph or any actually available physical representation? In the talk, I propose a solution based on modal logic with subjunctive markers (Wehmeier 2005).