more from John Heil

Single Idea 7047

[catalogued under 9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / c. Statue and clay]

Full Idea

Applications of the principle of the indiscernibility of identicals apparently obliges us to distinguish the statue and the lump of bronze making it up.

Clarification

The principle says same things have same properties

Gist of Idea

Statues and bronze lumps have discernible differences, so can't be identical

Source

John Heil (From an Ontological Point of View [2003], 16.3)

Book Reference

Heil,John: 'From an Ontological Point of View' [OUP 2005], p.182


A Reaction

In other words, statues and lumps of bronze have different properties. It is a moot point, though, whether there are any discernible differences between that statue at time t and its constituting lump of bronze at time t.