ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the near-contemporary philosophy of science. It looks at some more-modern treatments of the same issues, originating from a time when the ontology of powers was out of favour. Normativity, and likewise intentionality, seemingly exhibit the middle modality between necessity and pure possibility that we claim to be the realm of dispositionality. Thus far, P. T. Geach’s account would be perfectly compatible with the dispositional modality view, which interprets tendencies as disposing towards their manifestations in a less than necessary but more than contingent way. R. Harre and E. H. Madden also invoke the language of tendencies in their philosophy of science, citing Geach as an authority. Geach must surely have known the work of Aquinas and it does little to support an idea of irreducible tendencies. Geach must surely have known the work of Aquinas and it does little to support an idea of irreducible tendencies.
