A new challenge for contingentists

Abstract Contingentism is the view that it contingent which things exist. Despite its plausibility, advocates of contingentism face a well-known ‘challenge’ to demonstrate they can draw what appear be intelligible modal distinctions (Williamson Modal Logic as Metaphysic s. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013). In this article, I argue if certain controversial principles fail, challenge contingentists becomes much more difficult. Whereas extant challenges concern contingentists’ inability quite theoretical second-order distinctions, present concerns simpler first-order distinctions. This indicates in settings there may well significant barriers maintaining contingentism.