Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: According to one prominent strand of mainstream logic and metaphysics, identity is indistinguishability. Priest has recently argued that this permits counterexamples to the transitivity and substitutivity of identity within dialetheic metaphysics, even in paradigmatically extensional contexts. This paper investigates two alternative regimentations of indistinguishability. Although classically equivalent to the standard regimentation, on which Priest focuses, these alternatives are strictly stronger than it in dialetheic settings. Both regimentations are transitive, and one satisfies substitutivity. It is argued that both regimentations provide better candidates to occupy the core theoretical role of numerical identity than does the standard regimentation.
Source: The Philosophical Quarterly
DOI: 10.1093/pq/pqz030
Author: Nicholas K Jones
Institution: University of Birmingham
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Higher-order Metaphysics, G7321106805
OpenAlex ID: W2963778785