Lexicon of Arguments

 

I 269
Necessity of origin/organism/Kripke: (1972⁽¹⁾, 312ff, 1980⁽²⁾, 110ff): thesis: an organism could not have descended from another cell of origin as it actually did (Simons pro).
But the zygote is still no permanent essential part because it dies early. Phase-sortal/McGinn: e.g. "child" and "adult" are accordingly also zygotes.
>Sortals.
I 270
Solution/Simons: it is essential for the organism, that it follows from sexual reproduction and that it has its zygote as an initial spurious part. However, it is unclear whether the brain is an essential part (> Brain Transplant, see also Identity/Parfit, >Body/B. Williams).
I 295
Necessary Existence/Simons: necessary existence is only possible with abstract objects: e.g. universals, numbers, etc. Problem: if something exists necessarily, everything else depends on it.
>Existence.


1. Kripke, S. A. (1972). Naming and Necessity, in: Davidson/Harmann
(eds.) (1972), 253-355
2. Kripke, S. A. (1980). Naming and Necessity. Oxford: Blackwell