Module 3: Metaphysics; World Order of Things

(Original Image by Peter Klubek CC-BY)

Today, some might think that atomism and Aristotle’s teleological view have evolved into a theory of cells that resolves the acorn-oak tree identity problem. The purpose, or ergon, of both the acorn and the oak tree are present in the zygote, the cell that forms when male and female sex cells combine. This zygote cell contains the genetic material, or the instructions, for how the organism will develop to carry out its intended purpose.

But not all identity problems are so easily solved today. What if the author of this chapter lived in a house as a child, and years later, after traveling in the highly glamorous life that comes with being a philosopher, returned to find the house had burned down and been rebuilt exactly as it had been. Is it the same home? The generic questions that center on how we should understand the tension between identity and persistence include:

• Can a thing change without losing its identity?

• If so, how much change can occur without a loss of identity for the thing itself?

This section begins to broach these questions of identity and self.

1. Read the Module 3 Introduction
2. Read all readings in Chapter 3 in textbook
3. Complete the Discussion board and the assignment

Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.