On a Misguided Argument for the Necessity of Identity




Ari Maunu

PublisherPhilosophy documentation center

Charlottesville, Virginia

2018

Journal of Philosophical Research

43

241

248

8

1053-8364

2153-7984

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5840/jpr2018918134

https://www.pdcnet.org/jpr/content/jpr_2018_0043_0241_0248

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/37300695



There is a certain popular argument, deriving from Ruth Barcan and Saul Kripke, from the conjunction of the Principle of the Indiscernibility of Identicals (PInI, for short) and the Principle of the Necessity of Self-Identity to the Thesis of the Necessity of Identity. My purpose is to show that this argument does not work, not at least in the form it is often presented. I also give a correct formulation of the argument and point out that PInI is not even needed in the argument for the necessity of identity.


Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 22:33