Occasions of Identity: A Study in the Metaphysics of Persistence, Change, and Sameness - Hardcover

"Gallois's Occasions of Identity is a detailed, well-written presentation and defense of one attempt to solve many of the recently much discussed puzzles in the metaphysics of material objects. It is engaging not only for Gallois's ingenious attempt to defend his view that objects can be 'occasionally identical'--identical at one time but not another--but for his discussion throughout of the puzzles and of alternative solutions. Gallois does a fine job of keeping the motivations for a position, whether his own or others', in view while working out details and responding to objections. Even where one disagrees, there is excellent food for thought and discussion here." ..".superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice ."..superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice .,."superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice ., ."superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice , .."superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice .,."superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice ..."superbly organized and includes a comprehensive bibliography and helpful index...recommended for graduate students, faculty, and researchers."--Choice

Occasions of Identity is an exploration of timeless philosophical issues about persistence, change, time, and sameness. André Gallois offers a critical survey of various rival views about the nature of identity and change, and puts forward his own original theory in the face of the prevailing orthodoxy. He shows that it is coherent and helpful to suppose that things can be identical at one time. but distinct at another--in other words, that there are genuine occasional identities. Gallois defends this view against objections, demonstrates how it can solve puzzles about persistence dating back to the Ancient Greeks, and investigates the metaphysical consequences of rejecting the necessity and eternity of identities.