more from Robert Merrihew Adams

Single Idea 14507

[catalogued under 10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 2. Nature of Possible Worlds / a. Nature of possible worlds]

Full Idea

Is the world - and are all possible worlds - constituted by purely qualitative facts, or does thisness hold a place beside suchness as a fundamental feature of reality?

Gist of Idea

Are possible worlds just qualities, or do they include primitive identities as well?

Source

Robert Merrihew Adams (Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity [1979], Intro)

Book Reference

'Metaphysics - An Anthology', ed/tr. Sosa,E. /Kim,J. [Blackwell 1999], p.172


A Reaction

'Thisness' and 'suchness' aim to capture Aristotelian notions of the entity and its attributes. Aristotle talks of 'a this'. Adams is after adding 'haecceities' to the world. My intuitive answer is no, there are no 'pure' identities. We add those.

Related Idea

Idea 14512 Moderate Haecceitism says transworld identities are primitive, but connected to qualities [Adams,RM]