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Single Idea 11991

[filed under theme 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / d. Haecceitism ]

Full Idea

If one regards the usual form of quantification into modal and other intensional contexts - modality de re - as legitimate (without special explanations), then one seems committed to some form of haecceitism.

Gist of Idea

If quantification into modal contexts is legitimate, that seems to imply some form of haecceitism

Source

David Kaplan (How to Russell a Frege-Church [1975], IV)

Book Ref

'The Possible and the Actual', ed/tr. Loux,Michael J. [Cornell 1979], p.219


A Reaction

That is, modal reference requires fixed identities, irrespective of possible changes in properties. Why could one not refer to objects just as bundles of properties, with some sort of rules about when it ceased to be that particular bundle (keep 60%?)?


The 16 ideas with the same theme [indistinguishable worlds might still have different objects]:

Leibniz is some form of haecceitist [Leibniz, by Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
Two objects may only differ in being different [Wittgenstein]
Adams says anti-haecceitism reduces all thisness to suchness [Adams,RM, by Stalnaker]
Haecceitism may or may not involve some logical connection to essence [Adams,RM, by Mackie,P]
Moderate Haecceitism says transworld identities are primitive, but connected to qualities [Adams,RM]
'Haecceitism' says that sameness or difference of individuals is independent of appearances [Kaplan]
'Haecceitism' is common thisness under dissimilarity, or distinct thisnesses under resemblance [Kaplan]
If quantification into modal contexts is legitimate, that seems to imply some form of haecceitism [Kaplan]
Anti-haecceitism says there is no more to an individual than meeting some qualitative conditions [Stalnaker]
Extreme haecceitists could say I might have been a poached egg, but it is too remote to consider [Lewis, by Mackie,P]
Haecceitism implies de re differences but qualitative identity [Lewis]
Extreme haecceitism says you might possibly be a poached egg [Lewis]
Haecceitism attributes to each individual a primitive identity or thisness [Forbes,G]
We believe in thisnesses, because we reject bizarre possibilities as not being about that individual [Forbes,G]
Haecceitism says identity is independent of qualities and without essence [Bird]
The theory of 'haecceitism' does not need commitment to individual haecceities [Mackie,P]