Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2022
In a series of papers, Bence Nanay has recently put forward and defended a new theory of function, which he calls the ‘Modal Theory of Function’. In this article, I critically address this theory and argue that it fails to fulfill some key desiderata that a satisfactory theory of function must comply with. As a result, I conclude that, whatever property Nanay’s notion of function refers to, it is not the property having the function that is standardly attributed in science.
I would like to thank Vincenzo Fano, David Pineda, Monolo Martínez, José Diez, Giuliano Torrengo, and the audience of the II Barcelona-Urbino Meeting for their helpful comments and suggestions.