Taylor says that the three statements, "1. A billiard ball can be both round and red (but not round and square); 2. (Lucretius thought that) atoms can swerve from their paths; and 3. This can be the restaurant we ate in long ago" are "all the philosophically significant senses of 'can' as applied to physical objects, and these are, respectively, three senses of ___________, which I shall call logical, causal, and epistemic."
A) tautology
B) coherency
C) contingency
D) deontology

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Taylor is referring to the different ways in which the word "can" is used in philosophy to refer to contingency or possibility. The first statement refers to the logical possibility of a billiard ball being both round and red, the second refers to the causal possibility of atoms swerving from their paths, and the third refers to the epistemic possibility that the restaurant in question is the one they ate in long ago. All of these uses of "can" relate to contingency or possibility, making option C) contingency the best choice.

Taylor Says That the Three Statements, "1