University of Virginia
Corcoran Department of Philosophy
PhD, 1997
Hempstead, New York, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Metaphysics
  •  41
    A Case for Necessitarianism
    Routledge. 2021.
    Book Abstract A Case for Necessitarianism Amy Karofsky orcid: 0000-0003-4397-4203 The book provides a case for and explanation of necessitarianism—the view that absolutely nothing about the world could have been otherwise in any way whatsoever—and a refutation of contingentarianism—the view that at least some thing could have been different otherwise. Because it is the first defense of necessitarianism in over 300 years, it fills a significant gap in Western philosophical literature. The book is…Read more
  •  51
    Philosophy Through Film, 4th edition
    with Mary M. Litch
    Routledge. 2021.
    Some of the world’s best-loved films can be used as springboards for examining enduring philosophical questions. Philosophy Through Film provides guidance on how to watch films with an eye for their philosophical content, helping students become familiar with key topics in all of the major areas in Western philosophy, and helping them to master the techniques of philosophical argumentation. The perfect size and scope for a first course in philosophy, Philosophy Through Film assumes no prior knowled…Read more
  • The Ontology of Alethic Modalities in Aquinas, Suarez and Leibniz
    Dissertation, University of Virginia. 1997.
    Aquinas, Suarez and Leibniz assert a realism of possibles, in part, in order to explain divine freedom. If there were no real possibilities, then it would appear that this world could not have been otherwise. If this world and everything in it is determined to exist, then it seems that God does not freely choose to create. In order to preserve divine freedom, Aquinas, Suarez and Leibniz maintain that there are possibles from which God chooses to create. ;In addition, by adhering to a realism of …Read more
  •  56
    Suárez' doctrine of eternal truths
    Journal of the History of Philosophy 39 (1): 23-47. 2001.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Journal of the History of Philosophy 39.1 (2001) 23-47 [Access article in PDF] Suárez' Doctrine of Eternal Truths Amy D. Karofsky 1. Introduction The primary aim of this paper is to offer an interpretation of Suárez' doctrine of eternal truths as found in Metaphysical Disputation XXXI, chapter XII, sections 38-47. There, following the typical scholastic style, Suárez considers and rejects several theories before developing his own. B…Read more
  •  22
    Descartes no es un conceptualista
    Areté. Revista de Filosofía 14 (2): 191-209. 2002.
    Algunas interpretaciones contemporáneas de Descartes sugieren que él defiende una posición conceptualista en relación con las verdades eternas. De acuerdo con esta lectura de Descartes, las modalidades se determinan por lo que las mentes de un universo puedan concebir. Dado que lo que es posible depende de aquello que los intelectos puedan concebir, no hay concepto de posibilidad alguno que preceda a la existencia de los intelectos. De ahí que, antes de la existencia de los intelectos,no es el c…Read more
  •  80
    God, Modalities, and Conceptualism
    Philosophy and Theology 15 (2): 257-271. 2003.
    God’s relationship to modalities poses a serious problem for the theist. If God determines modalities, then it seems that he can do anything. If, on the other hand, modalities determine God’s actions, then it seems that he is not genuinely free. Conceptualism offers a solution to this problem by maintaining that modalities are determined by what is conceivable for the intellects of the universe that God has chosen to create. Prior to the creation of intellects, there are no modalities restrictin…Read more