Leibniz and the Non-Identity Problem
Thanks to the work of the late Robert Adams, many philosophers are aware that, in his writings on the problem of evil, Leibniz anticipated Parfit's famous non-identity problem. I have not seen it noted before that Leibniz (implicitly) anticipates one of the most discussed objections to Parfit, and this is a key reason why non-identity is not a complete theodicy for Leibniz. The non-identity problem is this. Which sperm meets which egg is an extremely chancy business, highly sensitive not just to who couples with whom, but also when and how. Ensuring that your parents meet—or even that they marry—is...
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Topic(s):
Contemporary Thinkers
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Creation and Conservation
,
Derek Parfit
,
Divine Attributes
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Essentialism
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Ethics
,
Existence of God
,
G. W. Leibniz
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Historical Thinkers
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Identity
,
James Woodward
,
Matthew Hanswer
,
Metaphysics
,
Molinism
,
Philosophical Theology
,
Philosophy
,
Philosophy of Religion
,
Providence and Sovereignty
,
The Problem of Evil
,
Thomism
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