X-Message-Number: 14187 From: "John Clark" <> Subject: Identity of indiscernibles Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 11:11:26 -0400 In #14178 Wrote: >two or more objects at different locations (in time or space) are in principle >easily distinguishable. How do you even know you're doing it, if they are identical and switching identities how could you tell? >If there are two otherwise identical rocks, one in front of me and one in front of >you, only one of us is in danger of stubbing his toe, and we can easily see who >that is. Ok, I guess only one of us is clumsy, but would your pain or my observation of you be any different is you stubbed your toe on a identical rock? At any rate I must say the idea that human individuality is caused by something special about our own personal hydrogen atoms is rather silly. >As for "instantly" switching the locations of two otherwise identical systems-even >if there were such things-that is not possible according to current understanding >of natural law. Not true, happens all the time in the quantum world. >The mantra of "identity of indiscernibles" has fatal problems. Then quantum mechanics has fatal problems because identity of indiscernibles was used to deduce The Pauli Exclusion Principle, and that is the basis of the periodic table of elements, and that is the basis of chemistry, and that is the basis of life. I explain this and some other stuff in detail in my dialogue " Waiting For Zed" at www.extropy.org/eo/articles/zed.htm John K Clark Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14187