Theo Todman's Web Page - Notes Pages
Personal Identity
Partial Identity
(Text as at 06/07/2023 00:43:12)
Plug Note1
- Thesis Text:
- It seems that “Partial identity” is a mereological2 claim, that something that has some of the parts of another things is “partially identical” to it. Two things are “partially identical” to the degree that they share parts. So, on this account, I am partially identical to my own head, and I am more partially identical to the mereological fusion of my head and my right hand.
- However, the term also seems to apply to properties3 (taken to be universals4, with universals viewed as the mereological sum of their instantiations).
- I doubt this has much relevance to my Thesis, though it might just be relevant to Brain Transplants5.
Further Remarks:
- I’d not heard of this variant until recently.
References
- Relevant Works cited above: No items to list.
- For a page of Links6 to this Note, Click here.
- Works on this topic that I’ve actually read7, include the following:-
- A further reading list might start with:-
- General:
- "Armstrong (David) - The Resemblance of Universals (II): A New Account", 1978
- "Baxter (Donald L.M.) - Identity in the Loose and Popular Sense", 1988, Internal PDF Link
- "Baxter (Donald L.M.) - Instantiation as Partial Identity", 2001, Internal PDF Link
- "Baxter (Donald L.M.) - Many-One Identity", 1988
- "Baxter (Donald L.M.) - Temporary and Contingent Instantiation as Partial Identity", 2018, External Link, Internal PDF Link, Read = 17%
- "Britton (T.) - The Problem of Verisimilitude and Counting Partially Identical Properties", 2004, Internal PDF Link
- "Denkel (Arda) - Resemblance Cannot be Partial Identity", 1998, Internal PDF Link
- "Hawley (Katherine) - Almost Identical, Almost Innocent", 2018, Internal PDF Link, Read = 17%
- "Heil (John) - Imperfect Similarity", 2003
- "Lewis (David) - Many, But Almost One", 1999 Reprint, Internal PDF Link, Read = 6%
- "Weatherson (Brian) - The Problem of the Many", 2003-14, External Link, Internal PDF Link, Read = 4%
- 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:-
- Read: No items to list.
- Further Reading: No items to list.
- This is mostly a place-holder8.
Table of the Previous 5 Versions of this Note:
| Note last updated |
Reading List for this Topic |
Parent Topic |
| 06/07/2023 00:43:12 |
None available |
Logic of Identity |
Summary of Notes Referenced by This Note
To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.
Summary of Notes Citing This Note
| Logic of Identity |
PID Note, Book & Paper Usage, 2, 3 |
Survival |
Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues), 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Thesis - Chapter 05 (Persistence and Time) |
| Thesis - Chapter 12 (Conclusion) |
Thesis - Current Stance |
Thesis - Personal Identity, 2, 3, 4 |
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? |
| Armstrong (David) |
The Resemblance of Universals (II): A New Account |
Paper  |
|
|
| Baxter (Donald L.M.) |
Instantiation as Partial Identity |
Paper  |
|
|
| Britton (T.) |
The Problem of Verisimilitude and Counting Partially Identical Properties |
Paper |
|
|
| Denkel (Arda) |
Resemblance Cannot be Partial Identity |
Paper |
2 |
|
| Hawley (Katherine) |
Almost Identical, Almost Innocent |
Paper |
2, 3, 4 |
|
| Heil (John) |
Imperfect Similarity |
Paper |
2 |
|
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues) |
Paper |
2, 3, 4, 5 |
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 05 (Persistence and Time) |
Paper |
|
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 |
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Survival |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Weatherson (Brian) |
The Problem of the Many |
Paper |
|
|
References & Reading List
| Author |
Title |
Medium |
Source |
Read? |
| Armstrong (David) |
The Resemblance of Universals (II): A New Account |
Paper - Cited |
Armstrong - Universals and Scientific Realism (Vol. 2: A Theory of Universals), 1978, Chapter 22 |
No |
| Armstrong (David) |
Universals and Scientific Realism (Vol. 2: A Theory of Universals) |
Book - Cited (via Paper Cited) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
4% |
| Lewis (David) |
Composition As Identity |
Paper - Cited |
Lewis - Parts of Classes, Section 3.6 |
Yes |
| Lewis (David) |
Parts of Classes |
Book - Cited (via Paper Cited) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
3% |
Text Colour Conventions
- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2026