Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Ontological Relativity' and 'Letters to Wolff'

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2 ideas

9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 9. Essence and Properties
13191 The properties of a thing flow from its essence [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: It is the same to look for perfection in an essence and in the properties that flow from an essence.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Wolff [1715], 1715.05.18)
     A reaction: It is helpful to have Leibniz spelling out his commitment to the traditional view of essence, as that from which the more evident properties flow.
9. Objects / F. Identity among Objects / 1. Concept of Identity
18965 We know what things are by distinguishing them, so identity is part of ontology [Quine]
     Full Idea: We cannot know what something is without knowing how it is marked off from other things. Identity is thus of a piece with ontology.
     From: Willard Quine (Ontological Relativity [1968], p.55)
     A reaction: Actually it is failure of identity which seems to raise questions of individuation. If I say 'this apple is [pause] identical to this apple', I don't see how that helps me to individuate apples.