Single Idea 15969

[catalogued under 9. Objects / F. Identity among Objects / 6. Identity between Objects]

Full Idea

There is never any problem about what makes two things identical; two things can never be identical.

Gist of Idea

Two things can never be identical, so there is no problem

Source

David Lewis (On the Plurality of Worlds [1986], 4.1)

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'On the Plurality of Worlds' [Blackwell 2001], p.193


A Reaction

This expresses Lewis's preference for usage of the word 'identity', rather than a simple solution. It pays no attention to type-identity, which is an obvious phenomenon. In some sense, it is just obvious that two electrons are 'identical'.

Related Idea

Idea 15968 Identity is simple - absolutely everything is self-identical, and nothing is identical to another thing [Lewis]