Leibniz's Principle of Identity of Indiscernibles

Gonzalo Rodriguez-Pereyra presents an original study of the place and role of the Identity of Indiscernibles in Leibniz's philosophy. The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles rules out numerically distinct but perfectly similar things; Leibniz derived it from more basic principles and used it to establish important philosophical theses. Rodriguez-Pereyra aims to establish what Leibniz meant by the Principle of Identity of Indiscernibles, what his arguments for and from it were, and to assess those arguments and Leibniz's claims about the Principle of Identity of Indiscernibles. He argues that Leibniz had a very strong version of the principle, according to which no possibilia (whether or not they belong to the same possible world) are intrinsically perfectly similar, where this excludes things that differ in magnitude alone. The book discusses Leibniz's arguments for the Identity of Indiscernibles in the Meditation on the Principle of the Individual , the Discourse on Metaphysics, Notationes Generales, Primary Truths , the letter to Casati of 1689, the correspondence with Clarke, as well as the use of the Identity of Indiscernibles in Leibniz's arguments against the Cartesian conception of the material world, atoms, absolute space and time, the Lockean conception of the mind as a tabula rasa , and freedom of indifference. Rodriguez-Pereyra argues that the Identity of Indiscernibles was a central but inessential principle of Leibniz's philosophy. Examines The Place And Role Of The Identity Of Indisernibles, Which Rules Out Numerically Distinct But Perfectly Similar Things, In Leibniz's Philosophy. The Meaning And Status Of The Identity Of Indiscernibles -- Some Early Texts -- The Discourse On Metaphysics And Notationes Generales -- Primary Truths -- Leibniz's Letter To Casati ; Appendix : Translation Of The Letter -- Indiscernible Possibilia And The Perfection Of The World -- The Correspondence With Clarke -- Necessity Revisited -- The Carteseian Material World -- Atoms -- Space And Time -- Minds -- Accidents. Gonzalo Rodríguez-pereyra. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 205-211) And Index. Cover Leibniz’s Principle of Identity of Indiscernibles Copyright Contents Preface 1. Introduction 2. The meaning and status of the Identity of Indiscernibles 3. Some early texts 4. The Discourse on Metaphysics and Notationes Generales 5. Primary Truths 6. Leibniz’s letter to Casati Appendix: Translation of the letter 7. Indiscernible possibilia and the perfection of the world 8. The correspondence with Clarke 9. Necessity revisited 10. The Cartesian material world 11. Atoms 12. Space and time 13. Minds 14. Accidents 15. Conclusion References 1. Works of Leibniz 2. Other historical sources 3. Secondary literature Index Gonzalo Rodriguez-Pereyra presents a new study of Leibniz's Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles—a principle which rules out numerically distinct but perfectly similar things. He explores Leibniz's definition of the Principle, evaluates his arguments for and from it, and concludes that it was central but inessential to Leibniz's philosophy.