The Metaphysics Of Identity Over Time
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The Metaphysics of Identity over Time
This book is a systematic investigation into the metaphysical foundations of identity over time. The author elaborates and evaluates the most common theory about the persistence of objects through time and change, namely the classical theory of spatio-temporal continuity. He shows how the theory requires an ontology of temporal parts, according to which objects are made up of temporally extended segments or stages. This ontology is criticized as unwarranted by modern space-time physics, and as internally incoherent. The author argues that identity over time should be seen as a primitive or unanalysable phenomenon, and that the so-called puzzle cases and paradoxes of identity can be dealt with without recourse to such an ontology.
The Persistence of Persons
Author: Valerio Buonomo (Ed.)
language: en
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Release Date: 2022-09-06
We ordinarily believe that the inhabitants of the world – including ourselves – persist over time. Such an idea, however, has puzzled philosophers for centuries. How can we change and still be the same? More specifically, is there any constitutive condition of our identity over time? And if so, does this condition involve mental aspects (such as memories, believes, experiences, etc.), physical aspects (such as the body, or the continuity of the organism), or something else? Or is rather personal identity primitive and unanalyzable, so that our persistence is nothing but a brute fact? This volume is a collection of new essays from leading figures in the field analyzing the persistence of persons and the criteria of personal identity over time. It presents an extensive discussion of the most relevant views on personal identity in contemporary metaphysics and provides new treatments of the constitutive conditions of personal persistence.
The Metaphysics of Identity Over Time
Author: David S. Oderberg
language: en
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Release Date: 1993-01-01
The standard account of the persistence of objects through time and change is the classical theory of spatio-temporal continuity. It is thought that an informative grounding of identity can be given in terms of what is seen to be a common-sense notion. Apart from being prone to numerous counter-examples which show continuity to be neither necessary nor sufficient for identity, it is also shown to require an ontology of temporal parts by which persisting objects are reduced to collections of temporally extended segments or stages. It is this ontology, and the reductionism it implies that is the subject of the author's criticism. It is the orthodox theory of identity over time, inspired by David Hume and adhered to by the vast majority of contemporary theorists. Identity and change, the very idea of unitary persisting objects, are seen as metaphysically illusory. The author shows that this sceptical theory is, contrary to the opinion of its supporters, unwarranted by the modern physics of space-time, and conceptually incoherent. It is argued that reductionism must be discarded and that theorists must abandon the attempt to find an informative analysis of identity. Rather, it should be seen as metaphysically basic, and the problems and puzzle cases of identity must be dealt with in that light.