A defence of anti-criterialism. Issue 5 (3rd September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Langford, Simon
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of philosophy. Volume 47:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 613
• Page End: 630
• Publication Date: 2017-09-03
• Subjects: Criteria of identity -- Trenton Merricks -- personal identity; Philosophy -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1080/00455091.2017.1282303
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-5091

Abstract

Abstract: According to philosophical orthodoxy, there are informative criteria of identity over time. Anti-criterialism rejects this orthodoxy and claims that there are no such criteria. This paper examines anti-criterialism in the light of recent attacks on the thesis by Matt Duncan, Sydney Shoemaker and Dean Zimmerman. It is argued that those attacks are not successful. Along the way, a novel strategy to defend anti-criterialism against the critics' most challenging objection is developed. Under-appreciated difficulties for criterialism are also raised which, I claim, there is no obvious way to solve. It is concluded that anti-criterialism may be a much stronger rival to criterialism than is often supposed.