Leibniz's Principle of The Identity of Indiscernibles: A False Principle
- 1 December 1976
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Philosophy of Science
- Vol. 43 (4) , 491-505
- https://doi.org/10.1086/288707
Abstract
In considering the possibility that the fundamental particles of matter might violate Leibniz's Principle, one is confronted with logical proofs that the Principle is a Theorem of Logic. This paper shows that the proof of that theorem is not universal enough to encompass entities that might not be unique, and also strongly suggests that photons, for example, do violate Leibniz's Principle. It also shows that the existence of non-individuals would imply the breakdown of Quine's criterion of ontological commitment.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- The Exclusion Principle and its Philosophical ImportancePhilosophy of Science, 1944