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Full Idea
A property is 'intrinsic' iff it never can differ between duplicates; iff whenever two things (actual or possible) are duplicates, either both of them have the property or both of them lack it.
Gist of Idea
A property is 'intrinsic' iff it can never differ between duplicates
Source
David Lewis (Defining 'Intrinsic' (with Rae Langton) [1998], IV)
Book Ref
Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.121
A Reaction
This leaves me wondering how one could arrive at a precise definition of 'duplicates'. Can it be done without mentioning that they have the same intrinsic properties?
15400 | We must avoid circularity between what is intrinsic and what is natural [Lewis, by Cameron] |
15458 | A property is 'intrinsic' iff it can never differ between duplicates [Lewis] |
15457 | Interdefinition is useless by itself, but if we grasp one separately, we have them both [Lewis] |
15459 | Ellipsoidal stars seem to have an intrinsic property which depends on other objects [Lewis] |