Philosophy and Phenomenological Research

Volume 80, Issue 2, March 2010

Leon Horsten
Pages 411-439

Impredicative Identity Criteria

In this paper, a general perspective on criteria of identity of kinds of objects is developed. The question of the admissibility of impredicative or circular identity criteria is investigated in the light of the view that is articulated. It is argued that in and of itself impredicativity docs not constitute sufficient grounds for rejecting a putative identity criterion. The view that is presented is applied to Davidson's criterion of identity for events and to the structuralist criterion of identity of places in a structure.