Why the principle of the identity of indiscernibles is not contingently true either

Steven French

pp. 141-166

in: Synthese 78 (2), 1989.

Abstract

Faced with strong arguments to the effect that Leibniz'sPrinciple of the Identity of Indiscernibles (PII) is not a necessary truth, many supporters of the Principle have staged a strategic retreat to the claim that it is contingently true in this, the actual, world. The purpose of this paper is to examine the status of the various forms of PII in both classical and quantum physics, and it is concluded that this latter view is at best doubtful, at worst, simply wrong.

Cited authors

Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm