The costs of Ockhamism

Ciro De Florio

Aldo Frigerio

pp. 489-507

in: Evandro Agazzi, Marco Buzzoni (eds), Epistemologia, Axiomathes 26 (4), 2016.

Abstract

This paper has a twofold aim. The first is to offer a precise definition of soft fact. Without such definition it is impossible to assess the Ockhamist solution to the problem of divine foreknowledge and human freedom in an accurate way. The second purpose is to identify the costs of such a solution, distinguishing them from some of the other costs usually ascribed to Ockhamism, which Ockhamism does not actually need to pay. In particular, it is argued that Ockhamism is committed to the view that a true future exists and to a form of backward causation.