counterpart theory of trans-world identity

E392413

The counterpart theory of trans-world identity is David Lewis’s influential modal metaphysical view that individuals in different possible worlds are not literally the same entity but related by similarity-based “counterpart” relations.

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counterpart theory of trans-world identity canonical 1

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf modal metaphysical theory
philosophical theory
theory in analytic metaphysics
theory of identity across possible worlds
theory of modality
addresses metaphysics of possible individuals
problems of trans-world identity
semantics of modal discourse
analyzes claims about what particular individuals could have been like
de re modality
appliesTo concrete particulars
individual objects
persons
asserts individuals in different possible worlds are distinct but related by counterpart relations
associatedWith David Lewis
compatibleWith David Lewis's modal realism
surface form: Lewisian modal realism
contrastsWith Kripkean essentialism about individuals
haecceitism
trans-world identity theory
coreClaim an individual in one world is represented in another world by a counterpart rather than by being literally the same entity
counterpart relations are grounded in qualitative similarity and contextually salient respects
modal statements about what an individual could have been are analyzed via properties of its counterparts in other worlds
criticizedFor alleged failure to capture intuitive de re modal claims
context-sensitivity of counterpart relations
counterintuitive treatment of trans-world identity
defendedBy David Lewis
denies strict trans-world identity of individuals
developedIn 20th century
hasComponent analysis of modal predication
similarity-based counterpart relation
world-indexed individuals
implies identity is world-bound
modal discourse is made true by facts about counterparts in other worlds
no individual exists in more than one possible world
influencedBy David Lewis's modal realism
surface form: David Lewis’s modal realism
mainProponent David Lewis
philosophicalTradition analytic philosophy
relatedField metaphysics
modal logic
philosophy of language
philosophy of logic
relatedWork On the Plurality of Worlds
relatedWorkAuthor David Lewis
usesConcept counterpart relation
modal realism
possible world
similarity-based relation

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David Lewis theoryDeveloped counterpart theory of trans-world identity