Theo Todman's Web Page - Notes Pages

Personal Identity

Indeterminate Identity

(Text as at 06/07/2023 00:43:12)

Plug Note¹

• Thesis Text:
  1. The idea of Indeterminate Identity arises in response to certain TEs. However, the logic of identity is so secure that it is sensible to look for other explanations of any TE that appears to bring it into doubt.
  2. Two seemingly related suggestions are Vague Identity² (VI) and Indeterminate Identity (II).
  3. I’m not sure of the distinction between VI and II, having studied neither in any detail, but:-
     1. I’d have thought that VI is a metaphysical claim alongside the suggestion – allegedly refuted by Gareth Evans – that there can be vague objects.
     2. In contrast to this, II sounds like an epistemological claim – that there are identity claims the truth-values of which we cannot know.
     3. The above distinction is somewhat moot if the puzzle of Vagueness³ is seen as at root epistemological, as by Timothy Williamson.
     4. To make matters worse, there are at least two other terms used:-
        → “Indefinite Identity”, and
        → “Imperfect Identity”
        Both these terms sound metaphysical, so I’ve assumed (for now) that they are the same as “Vague Identity⁴”.
        
  4. However, a quick look through the abstract of the papers on the reading lists suggests that the two notions are related – in that papers titled as related to one actually seem to relate to the other. "Parsons (Terence) - Indeterminate Identity" looks like a good study of the whole topic but uses II to mean indeterminacy in the world, which is a metaphysical claim.

• ---

  Further Remarks:
  1. The orthodox approach to the Logic of Identity⁵ is to treat it as a necessary equivalence relation. I follow this approach.
  2. However, in response to various TEs⁶, deviant forms₇ of Identity have been devised, and some are still popular.
  3. I intend to cover these topics in Chapter 4⁸ of my Thesis, along with the other deviant approaches to Identity.

References

• Relevant Works cited above:
  1. "Parsons (Terence) - Indeterminate Identity", 2000, Book, Read = 6%
• For a Page of Links⁹ to this Note, Click here.
• Works on this topic that I’ve actually read¹⁰, include the following:-
  • General:
    1. "Olson (Eric) - Imperfect Identity", 2006, Annotations, Internal PDF Link, Footnote₁₁
    2. "Parsons (Terence) - Indeterminate Identity: Analytical Table of Contents", 2000
• A further reading list might start with:-
  • General:
    1. "Cartwright (Helen Morris) - On Two Arguments for the Indeterminacy of Personal Identity", 1993, Read = 4%
    2. "Chandler (Hugh S.) - Indeterminate People", 1985
    3. "Cook (Monty) - Indeterminacy of Identity", 1986, No Abstract, Internal PDF Link
    4. "Eklund (Matti) - Personal Identity, Concerns, And Indeterminacy", 2004, Internal PDF Link
    5. "Garrett (Brian) - Johnston on Fission", 2004, Internal PDF Link, Read = 17%
    6. "Garrett (Brian) - Vagueness and Identity", 1988, Internal PDF Link
    7. "Heck (Richard) - Is Indeterminate Identity Coherent", 2003+, External Link, Internal PDF Link
    8. "Lowe (E.J.) - Reply to Noonan on Vague Identity", 1997, Internal PDF Link
    9. "Lowe (E.J.) - Vague Identity and Quantum Indeterminacy", 1994, External Link, Internal PDF Link, Read = 17%
    10. "Miller (Kristie) - Vagueness, Persistence and Indeterminate Identity", 2006, Internal PDF Link, Read = 11%
    11. "Monaghan (P.X.) - Vague Objects and Existence", 2004, Internal PDF Link
    12. "Noonan (Harold) - Indeterminate Identity, Contingent Identity and Abelardian Predicates", 1991, Internal PDF Link
    13. "Parsons (Terence) - Indeterminate Identity", 2000, Book, Read = 6%
    14. "Parsons (Terence) & Woodruff (Peter) - Worldly Indeterminacy of Identity", 1995, No Abstract, Internal PDF Link
    15. "Pinillos (N. Ángel) - Counting and Indeterminate Identity", 2003, Internal PDF Link
    16. "Taylor (David E.) - A Minimal Characterization of Indeterminacy", 2018, External Link, Internal PDF Link, Read = 14%
    17. "Woodruff (Peter) & Parsons (Terence) - Indeterminancy of Identity of Objects and Sets", 1997, Internal PDF Link, Read = 4%
    18. "Woodruff (Peter) & Parsons (Terence) - Set Theory with Indeterminacy of Identity", 1999, Internal PDF Link

  ---

• For a list of Works that have been considered, but have missed the cut for inclusion in this Section of my Thesis, see the following:-
  1. Read: No items to list.
  2. Further Reading: No items to list.
• This is mostly a place-holder¹².

---

In-Page Footnotes:

Footnote 7:

• I’m not sure if this is the correct terminology.

Footnote 11:

• It looks like Olson uses “imperfect” as an amalgamated metaphysical / epistemological claim.

---

Table of the Previous 5 Versions of this Note:

Date	Length	Title
20/09/2022 11:24:00	3789	Indeterminate Identity
01/05/2022 18:20:10	3408	Indeterminate Identity
12/02/2021 23:58:34	3162	Indeterminate Identity
26/09/2020 19:58:05	2539	Indeterminate Identity
17/01/2018 13:43:41	3684	Indeterminate Identity

---

Note last updated	Reading List for this Topic	Parent Topic
06/07/2023 00:43:12	Indeterminate Identity	Logic of Identity

---

Summary of Notes Referenced by This Note

Awaiting Attention (Personal Identity)	Logic of Identity	Note Links Explanation	Plug Note Apologia	Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues)
Thought Experiments	Vague Identity	Vagueness	Works Read - Explanation

To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.

---

Summary of Notes Citing This Note

Johnston - Human Beings, 2	Logic of Identity	Olson - Personal Identity - Oxford Bibliographies Online	PID Note, Book & Paper Usage, 2, 3, 4	Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Thesis - Chapter 12 (Conclusion)	Thesis - Current Stance	Thesis - Personal Identity, 2, 3, 4, 5	Vague Identity, 2	Vagueness
Website Generator Documentation - Functors, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.

---

Authors, Books & Papers Citing this Note

Author	Title	Medium	Extra Links	Read?
Cartwright (Helen Morris)	On Two Arguments for the Indeterminacy of Personal Identity	Paper
Garrett (Brian)	Johnston on Fission	Paper
Garrett (Brian)	Vagueness and Identity	Paper	2
Heck (Richard)	Is Indeterminate Identity Coherent	Paper
Johnston (Mark)	Human Beings	Paper	2	Yes
Lowe (E.J.)	Reply to Noonan on Vague Identity	Paper
Lowe (E.J.)	Vague Identity and Quantum Indeterminacy	Paper
Monaghan (P.X.)	Vague Objects and Existence	Paper
Olson (Eric)	Personal Identity - Oxford Bibliographies Online	Paper		Yes
Parsons (Terence)	Indeterminate Identity: Appendix - Evans on Indeterminacy	Paper
Parsons (Terence)	Non-Conditional Disputations	Paper	2, 3, 4, 5
Parsons (Terence)	The Evans Argument, Properties and Ddiff	Paper
Parsons (Terence)	Understanding Indeterminacy	Paper	2
Pinillos (N. Ángel)	Counting and Indeterminate Identity	Paper	2, 3
Rea (Michael)	The Problem of Material Constitution	Paper
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues)	Paper	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Chapter 12 (Conclusion)	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Current Position	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Logic of Identity	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Personal Identity	Paper	2, 3, 4, 5	Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Vague Identity	Paper	2	Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Vagueness	Paper		Yes
Van Inwagen (Peter)	Précis of Material Beings	Paper		Yes
Williamson (Timothy)	The Necessity and Determinacy of Distinctness	Paper

---

References & Reading List

Author	Title	Medium	Source	Read?
Burgess (J.A.)	Vague Objects and Indefinite Identity	Paper - By Subtopic	Philosophical Studies, Vol. 59, No. 3 (Jul., 1955), pp. 263-287	No
Cartwright (Helen Morris)	On Two Arguments for the Indeterminacy of Personal Identity	Paper - Cited	Synthese 95, 1993, 241-273	4%
Heck (Richard)	Is Indeterminate Identity Coherent	Paper - By Subtopic	Website	No
Johnston (Mark)	Human Beings	Paper - Referencing	Journal of Philosophy, Volume 84, Issue 2 (Feb 1987), 59-83	Yes
Lovibond (Sabina) & Williams (S.G.)	Identity, Truth & Value: Essays for David Wiggins	Book - Referencing (via Paper Referencing)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	10%
Lowe (E.J.)	Vague Identity and Quantum Indeterminacy	Paper - By Subtopic	Analysis, Vol. 54, No. 2 (Apr., 1994), pp. 110-114	17%
Lowe (E.J.)	Vague Identity and Quantum Indeterminacy: Further Reflections	Paper - By Subtopic	Analysis, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Oct., 1999), pp. 328-330	No
Miller (Kristie)	Vagueness, Persistence and Indeterminate Identity	Paper - By Subtopic	Erkenntnis (1975-), Vol. 64, No. 2 (Mar., 2006), pp. 223-230	11%
Noonan (Harold)	Indeterminate Identity, Contingent Identity and Abelardian Predicates	Paper - By Subtopic	Philosophical Quarterly 41.163, Apr. 1991, pp. 183-193	No
Olson (Eric)	Imperfect Identity	Paper - Cited	Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 106, Number 2, March 2006, pp. 247-264(18)	Yes
Olson (Eric)	Papers on Identity Boxes: Vol 13 (Olson)	Book - Cited (via Paper Cited)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	16%
Parsons (Terence)	Alternatives to Indeterminate Identity	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 10	No
Parsons (Terence)	Conditional Disputations	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 6	No
Parsons (Terence)	Counting Objects	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 8	No
Parsons (Terence)	Denoting Objects	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 9	No
Parsons (Terence)	Higher-Order Indeterminacy	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 12	No
Parsons (Terence)	Identity	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 3	No
Parsons (Terence)	Indeterminacy	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 2	No
Parsons (Terence)	Indeterminate Identity	Book - Cited	Parsons (Terence) - Indeterminate Identity	6%
Parsons (Terence)	Indeterminate Identity: Analytical Table of Contents	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, TOC	Yes
Parsons (Terence)	Indeterminate Identity: Appendix - Evans on Indeterminacy	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Appendix	No
Parsons (Terence)	Indeterminate Identity: Introduction	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 1	No
Parsons (Terence)	Non-Conditional Disputations	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 5	No
Parsons (Terence)	Sets and Properties with Indeterminate Identity	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 11	No
Parsons (Terence)	The Evans Argument, Properties and Ddiff	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 4	No
Parsons (Terence)	Understanding Indeterminacy	Paper - By Subtopic	Parsons - Indeterminate Identity, 2000, Chapter 7	No
Pinillos (N. Ángel)	Counting and Indeterminate Identity	Paper - By Subtopic	Mind, Vol. 112, No. 445 (Jan., 2003), pp. 35-50	No
Taylor (David E.)	A Minimal Characterization of Indeterminacy	Paper - By Subtopic	Philosophers' Imprint, Vol. 18, No. 5, March 2018, pp. 1-25	14%
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Indeterminate Identity	Paper - By Subtopic		Yes
Williamson (Timothy)	The Necessity and Determinacy of Distinctness	Paper - Referencing	Lovibond & Williams - Identity, Truth & Value: Essays for David Wiggins	27%

---

Text Colour Conventions

1. Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2026

---

© Theo Todman, June 2007 - June 2026.	Please address any comments on this page to theo@theotodman.com.	File output: 01/06/2026 05:19:14 Website Maintenance Dashboard
Return to Top of this Page	Return to Theo Todman's Philosophy Page	Return to Theo Todman's Home Page

---