Counterfactuals, 1973:
Counterfactuals is David Lewis's forceful presentation of and sustained argument for a particular view about propositions which express contrary-to-fact conditionals, including his famous defense of realism about possible worlds. Since its original publication in 1973, it has become a classic of contemporary philosophy, and is essential reading for anyone interested in the logic and metaphysics of counterfactuals. The book also includes an appendix of related writings by Lewis. (Google Books)
On the Plurality of Worlds, 1986:
This book is a defense of modal realism; the thesis that our world is but one of a plurality of worlds, and that the individuals that inhabit our world are only a few out of all the inhabitants of all the worlds. Lewis argues that the philosophical utility of modal realism is a good reason for believing that it is true. After putting forward the type of modal realism he favors, Lewis answers numerous objections that have been raised against it. These include an insistence that everything must be actual; paradoxes akin to those that confront naive set theory; arguments that modal realism leads to inductive skepticism, or to disregard for prudence and morality; and finally, sheer incredulity at a theory that disagrees so badly with common opinion. Lewis grants the weight of the last objection, but takes it to be outweighed by the benefits to systematic theory that acceptance of modal realism brings. He asks whether these same benefits might be gained more cheaply if we replace his many worlds by many merely 'abstract' representations; but concludes that all versions of this 'ersatz modal realism' are in serious trouble. In the final chapter, Lewis distinguishes various questions about trans-world identity, and argues that his 'method of counterparts' is preferable to alternative approaches. (Abe Books)
Note: Angelika Kratzer develops a competing but non-contradictory theory of counterfactuals in her 1981 essay Partition and Revision: The Semantics of Counterfactuals. A 'slightly revised' version of the essay is found in Chapter 3 of her 2012 book Modals and Conditionals.
Apologies for the inadequate synopses here. I was pointed in this direction and I have not read any David Lewis yet. I don't know if this is the best place to start. The texts themselves are very expensive - here are the links to b u y them:
https://perso.uclouvain.be/peter.verdee/counterfactuals/lewis.pdf
http://daalv.free.fr/Master-2011-2012/LMPHI%20155%20-%20Anglais%20philo/Lewis-David-(1986)-On-the-Plurality-of-Worlds.pdf
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Chris Kratzer wrote...
"You may not like what I'm about to say.
You may not like the way I say it.
My writing is both message and art, and most importantly, purposed on giving real voice to the spiritually oppressed and chasing the evils of toxic Christianity out of the shadows.
Reading ahead is your choice.
……………………………………
They don't give a f*ck about you.
You think they actually care?
You think they have your best interests at heart?
If they are following conservative Evangelicalism, if they are believing it all the way, they don't give a f*ck about you.
They can't, and they won't.
How do I know?
This is how.
Their faith system insists that self-love is dangerous. It's evil and leads only to debauchery. In their minds, self-love leads you away from God and towards the devil. You are depraved, fallen, evil, and a "sinner." Nothing to love, only everything to hate.
Therefore, in order to turn and be faithful to God, you must suppress your heart, hate your humanity, deny your mind, and see yourself as inherently wicked and separate from God. And even if you "come to Jesus" and somehow, your faith in Christ makes you into a "new creation" you must constantly face an inner battle to shame your so-called "flesh" and embrace the so-called "spirit," or else.
It's a never-ending religious treadmill of spiritual exhaustion and desperation. Under conservative Evangelicalism, there is always something about you to despise, demonize, condemn, or pin down. Therefore, any spark of self-love is to be quickly filled with apprehension, fear, conditions, and rigid restrictions, and ultimately should be snuffed out just to be sure there'll be no chance of embracing evil.
So, with all of this, when they attempt to follow the highest instruction of Jesus to "love your neighbor as yourself," they actually do just that. They love you just the way they love themselves, which is with hate, fear, conditions, shame, condemnation, and deep apprehension.
Shackled to insecurity and self-degradation, they can actually do nothing else but hate you, because, in essence, they hate themselves. All their inner shame, condemnation, and fears of love are directed and projected upon you. This is why hate feels like love to them.
In the end, seeing themselves as fundamentally flawed, and you as the same, they exchange loving you for making you into their spiritual project to entice you into joining them in their misery-ladened desperate pursuit of finding righteousness and acquiring special standing with God. Not because they love you, but actually because they hate themselves, and misery loves company.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about you.
To them, you're a project not a person. A notch on their belt, not a human to be served. If they can get you to buy into their religious plight, it makes their self-righteousness seem real, special, and true, and their hate seem like love.
In fact, receiving any sense of lasting community and genuine care from them comes only when they convince you to hate yourself enough that you join their religious misery of trying to overcome it. There is no interest in you beyond you joining them in learning to fake it and convince yourself, as they have, that you and Christ have, and are continuing to make yourself uniquely whole, saved, righteous, and separate from everyone else.
That's right, as spiritual, good, and holy as they can make it all look, they don't give a f*ck about you any further than your willingness to join with them in their shallow, religious hell of self-righteous believing and living.
In fact, you can be sure that their teachings on hell, eternal suffering, biblical inerrancy, and needing Jesus, are actually all just tools of submission and conformity. The ultimate narrative for the ultimate exploitation.
Yup, it's true.
They don't give a f*ck about you. Your eternal destination, your well-being, your happiness, or your success. They just want you to comply or get out of their way. Get on board or get buried.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about the environment.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about fostering true equality.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about solving poverty.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about their worshipping of a lying, criminal, racist, sexist, adulterous, and gluttonous president.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about stopping mass shootings.
This is why they don't even give a f*ck about abortion as it's just a political bait to hook their base.
This is why they don't give a f*ck about breaking the law, abandoning the vulnerable, or enabling the rich.
If it doesn't serve white, heterosexual, patriarchal, conservative Evangelicalism, they don't give a f*ck.
Need proof?
Just see how they treat you when you leave their church.
See how they treat you when your child reveals they're gay, or you no longer see being queer as a sin or contrary to God's design.
See how they treat you when you stop tithing.
See how they treat you when your disabled family member disrupts their polished worship service or needs special assistance or accessibility.
See how they treat you when you question the leadership or want equal representation of women, queer people, and minorities in all levels of leadership.
See how they treat you when you no longer see the Bible as inerrant or Jesus as the only way to salvation.
See how they treat you when you no longer have the time or energy to serve in ministry.
See how they treat you when you challenge their biblical interpretations or visions for ministry.
See how they treat you when you ask to see the church budget - including salaries, expenses, and priorities.
See how they treat you when you suggest that the church should revolve around serving the community without agenda or expectation of return, instead of a weekly slick worship service.
See how they treat you when you doubt it all and wonder if Christianity is just one big scheme.
It won't take much and it won't take long to see that my 20 years of having been a conservative Evangelical pastor have revealed the truth they don't want you to see… they don't give a f*ck about you.
Grace is brave. Be brave."
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