Tests for Intrinsicness Tested

Authors

Kelvin J. McQueen, Chapman UniversityFollow
René van Woudenberg, VU University Amsterdam

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-22-2016

Abstract

Various tests have been proposed as helps to identify intrinsic properties. This paper compares three prominent tests (we call them Perfect Duplication, Real Change, and Lonely) and shows that they fail to pass adequate verdicts on a set of three properties. The paper examines whether improved versions of the tests can reduce or remove these negative outcomes. We reach the sceptical conclusion that whereas some of the tests must be discarded as inadequate because they don’t yield definite results, the remaining tests depend for their application on the details of fundamental particle physics so much so that they cannot be relied upon.

Comments

This article was originally published in Philosophical Studies, volume 173, in 2016. DOI:10.1007/s11098-016-0644-0

Recommended Citation

McQueen, Kelvin J., and René van Woudenberg. "Tests for intrinsicness tested." Philosophical Studies, vol. 173, 2016, 2935-2950. doi: 10.1007/s11098-016-0644-0

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.