Single Idea 14072

[catalogued under 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / a. Transworld identity]

Full Idea

Identity across possible worlds makes sense only with respect to a sortal

Clarification

A 'sortal' says what sort of thing it is

Gist of Idea

Possible worlds identity needs a sortal

Source

Allan Gibbard (Contingent Identity [1975], IV)

Book Reference

-: 'Journal of Symbolic Logic' [-], p.198


A Reaction

See Gibbard's other ideas from this paper. I fear that the sortal invoked is too uncertain and slippery to do any useful job, and I can't see any principled difficulty with naming something before you can think of a sortal for it.