Proper Names as Rigid Designators – The Case of Tom and Tim

This is a small piece of something much larger…

Tom and Tim are two people in the actual world.

First case: there is some possible world where Tom has all the physical and mental properties as Tim, and Tim has all the physical and mental properties of Tom. Everything else in this world is exactly as it is in the actual world, with one exception: in this possible world Tom is referred to as ‘Tim’ and Tim is referred to as ‘Tom’. Now, one may wonder if there is any difference at all between this world and the actual world, and the answer is decidedly “no”; that is, unless one wants to maintain that there are haecceistic differences.

Possible response: Not every property can be switched. Tom and Tim must have the same respective parents that they have in the actual world.

Second case: Same as the first, except in the actual world Tom and Tim are brothers. And so, in the possible world we are imagining, Tom and Tim are brothers as well. Thus they have the same parents in this possible world as they do in the actual world, and all their other properties are switched. Again, one may wonder if there is any difference at all between this world and the actual world, and the answer is decidedly “no”; that is, unless one wants to maintain that there are haecceistic differences.

Possible response: Well, they must at least have the same DNA as they actually do. DNA is important to an individual’s essence.

Third case: Same as the second, except here Tom and Tim are identical twins. Thus, they share the same genetic code. But twins do have distinguishing characteristics, such as unique fingerprints. In this possible world, these distinguishing characteristics are switched. And here again, one may wonder if there is any difference at all between this world and the actual world, and the answer is decidedly “no”; that is, unless one wants to maintain that there are haecceistic differences.

Conclusion: Proper names do not designate rigidly, unless one wants to maintain that there are haecceistic differences.

And why the hell would anyone want to do that?

Something to Work On

Philosophy is, for me, 99% conceptualizing. And as I am no longer in school, I haven't been forced to actually write anything lately (although I am trying to finish up a couple of papers to get a Masters). I started this blog so that I could jot things down here and there, but I find that even doing that much is, more often that not, something that I don't ever get around to doing. I need to work on that. As a poor substitute for writing something new, I will post something old. And I'll do it right now before I get lost in other things...