Ontic structural realism and modality

Abstract

In this article, I carry out a critical analysis of two strategies employed to clarify the modal nature of structures as conceived by the eliminativist version of Ontic Structural Realism (osr): the real patterns of Ladyman and Ross (2007) and French's laws and symmetries (2014). I provide arguments to show that neither of them is capable of coming up with a characterization of structures as inherently modal structures. This result poses serious difficulties for the project of presenting osr as a realist position regarding the physical world.