Abstract

This chapter examines the ground and function of Royce conception of necessity. I show that Royce's idea of necessity is negative, as are all universals for Royce. I explain how the various sense of "negation" in Royce's philosophy can be employed to demonstrate his sense of the Absolute which, far from being the abstract determiner of all truth, for Royce, is actually the conclusion to which we are compelled by the fact of our finitude. In the end, the surprising results of the formal analysis of "Some s is not p," as "Some experience is not mine," yields a magical result: not only is solipsism refuted, but the Absolute is as close to being "proven" as any Absolute could ever be.

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