Single Idea 12016

[catalogued under 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / a. Transworld identity]

Full Idea

The motivation for investigating individual essences should be obvious, since if every object has such an essence, the problem of elucidating transworld identity can be solved.

Gist of Idea

The problem of transworld identity can be solved by individual essences

Source

Graeme Forbes (The Metaphysics of Modality [1985], 5.1)

Book Reference

Forbes,Graeme: 'The Metaphysics of Modality' [OUP 1985], p.100


A Reaction

It is important that, if necessary, the identities be 'individual', and not just generic, by sortal, or natural kind. We want to reason about (and explain) truths at the fine-grained level of the individual, not just at the broad level of generalisation.