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Single Idea 8519

[filed under theme 9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 1. Physical Objects ]

Full Idea

Each individual is distinct from each other individual, so the bundle account of objects requires each bundle to be different from every other bundle. So the Identity of Indiscernibles must be a necessary truth, which, unfortunately, it is not.

Gist of Idea

Bundles must be unique, so the Identity of Indiscernibles is a necessity - which it isn't!

Source

Keith Campbell (The Metaphysic of Abstract Particulars [1981], §5)

Book Ref

'Properties', ed/tr. Mellor,D.H. /Oliver,A [OUP 1997], p.132


A Reaction

Clearly the Identity of Indiscernibles is not a necessary truth (consider just two identical spheres). Location and time must enter into it. Could we not add a further individuation requirement to the necessary existence of a bundle? (Quinton)


The 14 ideas from Keith Campbell

Two red cloths are separate instances of redness, because you can dye one of them blue [Campbell,K]
Red could only recur in a variety of objects if it was many, which makes them particulars [Campbell,K]
Abstractions come before the mind by concentrating on a part of what is presented [Campbell,K]
Tropes are basic particulars, so concrete particulars are collections of co-located tropes [Campbell,K]
Events are trope-sequences, in which tropes replace one another [Campbell,K]
Causal conditions are particular abstract instances of properties, which makes them tropes [Campbell,K]
Davidson can't explain causation entirely by events, because conditions are also involved [Campbell,K]
Bundles must be unique, so the Identity of Indiscernibles is a necessity - which it isn't! [Campbell,K]
Two pure spheres in non-absolute space are identical but indiscernible [Campbell,K]
Tropes solve the Companionship Difficulty, since the resemblance is only between abstract particulars [Campbell,K]
Tropes solve the Imperfect Community problem, as they can only resemble in one respect [Campbell,K]
Nominalism has the problem that without humans nothing would resemble anything else [Campbell,K]
Trope theory makes space central to reality, as tropes must have a shape and size [Campbell,K]
Relations need terms, so they must be second-order entities based on first-order tropes [Campbell,K]