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Single Idea 12035

[filed under theme 9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 1. Unifying an Object / c. Unity as conceptual ]

Full Idea

Leibniz is committed with apparent consistency to both a purely qualitative character of all thisnesses, and to primitiveness of individual identity. He regards thisnesses as conjunctions of simpler, logically independent suchnesses.

Clarification

Adams's 'suchnesses' are qualitative, and his 'thisnesses' are not

Gist of Idea

Leibniz bases pure primitive entities on conjunctions of qualitative properties

Source

report of Gottfried Leibniz (works [1690]) by Robert Merrihew Adams - Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity 5

Book Ref

'Metaphysics - An Anthology', ed/tr. Sosa,E. /Kim,J. [Blackwell 1999], p.179

A Reaction

Hence Leibniz is held to say that all of the qualitative properties are 'essential' to the object, since all of them are needed to constitute its identity. Hence absolutely nothing about an object, even an electron, could be different, which is daft.

The 11 ideas with the same theme [unification of objects as only occurring in our minds]:

15856 A thing can become one or many, depending on how we talk about it [Plato]
17839 Some things are unified by their account, which rests on a unified thought about the thing [Aristotle]
2297 If I can separate two things in my understanding, then God can separate them in reality [Descartes]
13160 To exist and be understood, a multitude must first be reduced to a unity [Leibniz]
12746 We find unity in reason, and unity in perception, but these are not true unity [Leibniz]
12035 Leibniz bases pure primitive entities on conjunctions of qualitative properties [Leibniz, by Adams,RM]
20362 We saw unity in things because our ego seemed unified (but now we doubt the ego!) [Nietzsche]
14252 We should understand identity in terms of the propositions it renders true [Fine,K]
13332 Hierarchical set membership models objects better than the subset or aggregate relations do [Fine,K]
14928 Things are abstractions from structures [Ladyman/Ross]
14481 Wherever an object exists, there are intrinsic properties instantiating every modal profile [Thomasson]