Luca Zanetti

Title

Identity, Discernibility, and Potentiality

Abstract

Utterly indiscernible entities (UIE) defy the Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles (PII), according to which x and y are identical if they share all their properties P for some relevant restriction of P. This paper outlines a potentialist account of UIEs, according to which x and y are distinct if it is possible that x is not identical to y. I claim that potentialism provides a satisfactory treatment of most cases of UIEs in mathematics (and physics). I finally sketch an account of the relevant notion of modality and show some consequences for the metaphysics of identity.

Date / Time / Place

June 22nd / 11:30 / Aula 0A