In Defence of the Thin Red Line: A Case for Ockhamism

This paper deals with A.N. Prior’s Ockhamism and “the true futurist theory”. The introduction contains an outline of the historical background of the theories mainly in medieval theology and logic. In section 2, a formal version of the medieval argument for determinism will be presented without theological references. It will be pointed out that there are two premises used in the argument which are obvious candidates for questioning. In section 3, Prior’s Ockhamism will be discussed. The modern criticism of the “the theory of the thin red line” will be presented and evaluated in section 4, and it will be argued that the theory can in fact be defended and that there is after all no strong argument against it.

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