structure for all areas    |     expand these ideas

9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 5. Individuation / d. Individuation by haecceity

[a special property marking a thing's uniqueness]

21 ideas
Doesn't each thing have an essence, just as it has other qualities? [Plato]
For Aristotle, things are not made individual by some essential distinguishing mark [Aristotle, by Frede,M]
We can call the quality of Plato 'Platonity', and say it is a quality which only he possesses [Boethius]
The haecceity is the featureless thing which gives ultimate individuality to a substance [Duns Scotus, by Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
Scotus said a substantial principle of individuation [haecceitas] was needed for an essence [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
No two things are quite the same, so there must be an internal principle of distinction [Leibniz]
The laws-of-the-series plays a haecceitist role [Leibniz, by Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
A haecceity is a property had necessarily, and strictly confined to one entity [Chisholm]
Being the tallest man is an 'individual concept', but not a haecceity [Chisholm]
A snowball's haecceity is the property of being identical with itself [Plantinga, by Westerhoff]
Surely self-identity is essential to Socrates? [Plantinga]
'Being Socrates' and 'being identical with Socrates' characterise Socrates, so they are among his properties [Plantinga]
Adams says actual things have haecceities, but not things that only might exist [Adams,RM, by Stalnaker]
A 'thisness' is a thing's property of being identical with itself (not the possession of self-identity) [Adams,RM]
There are cases where mere qualities would not ensure an intrinsic identity [Adams,RM]
The idea of 'thisness' is better expressed with designation/predication and particular/universal [Wiggins]
Haecceities implausibly have no qualities [Jubien]
Any entity has the unique property of being that specific entity [Jubien]
Haecceity as property, or as colourless thisness, or as singleton set [Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
A haecceity is a set of individual properties, essential to each thing [Read]
A haecceity is the essential, simple, unanalysable property of being-this-thing [Mackie,P]