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Articles

Leibniz and the Leaves: Beyond Identity

Angels, humans, the leaves on a tree; is each one unique or just an example of its kind? Peter Pesic explains why Leibniz thought even leaves are individuals.

Identity is a central question in philosophy, for it touches the deepest issues of being and individuality. Our ordinary word ‘identity’ covers several crucial concepts that should be clarified. Individuality indicates what makes an individual be an individual, rather than simply a member of a species or an instance of some universal quality. Identity, as used strictly by philosophers, indicates how an individual remains the same in different times and places, its self-sameness. Distinguishability or discernibility means how an individual can be told apart from all others.

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