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Single Idea 9670

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

Full Idea

The most extreme version of haecceitism says that anything could possibly have any qualitative character; for instance, there is a world according to which you are a poached egg.

Clarification

See Idea 9668 for haecceitism

Gist of Idea

Extreme haecceitism says you might possibly be a poached egg

Source

David Lewis (On the Plurality of Worlds [1986], 4.4)

Book Ref

Lewis,David: 'On the Plurality of Worlds' [Blackwell 2001], p.239


A Reaction

Presumably a plausible haecceitist view would have to be combined with essentialism, given that the possibility that I might be a poached egg is beyond my intuitive grasp.

Related Idea

Idea 9668 'Haecceitism' is common thisness under dissimilarity, or distinct thisnesses under resemblance [Kaplan]


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]