Backing as Truthmaking. Issue 5 (26th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stamatiadis-Bréhier, Alexios
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of philosophy. Volume 51:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 367
• Page End: 383
• Publication Date: 2021-07-26
• Subjects: Backing -- separatism -- metaphysical explanation -- grounding -- truthmaking; Philosophy -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1017/can.2021.31
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-5091

Abstract

Abstract: Separatists about grounding take explanations to be separate from their corresponding grounding-facts. Grounding-facts are supposed to underlie, or back, such explanations. However, the backing relation hasn't received much attention in the literature. The aim of this paper is to provide an informative definition of backing. First, I examine two prominent proposals: backing as explaining (Kovacs 2017; 2019a) and backing as grounding (see Sjölin Wirling 2020). Finally, I put forward my own proposal. I argue that under plausible assumptions about the role of backing and the nature of explanation, backing should be understood as a form of truthmaking, minimally construed.