Modality and a priori knowledge

Abstract

The prominence of questions regarding the relationship between a priori knowledge and the modalities in contemporary philosophy is largely due to the influence of Immanuel Kant and Saul Kripke. Although Kant’s primary focus is on epistemological questions that pertain to the nature and existence of a priori knowledge and Kripke’s primary focus is on metaphysical and semantic issues that pertain to the modalities, the relationship between a priori knowledge and the modalities plays a prominent role in the work of both. As we shall see, many of the contemporary discussions take as their point of departure either particular views of one of them or apparent disagreements between them.