Persistence
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Persistence | |
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| Type | Metaphysical problem |
| Field | Metaphysics |
| Core idea | Conditions under which an entity continues to exist over time |
| Assumptions | Entities endure change; identity across time requires criteria |
| Status | Contested |
| Related | Identity; Change; Essence; Time |
Persistence is a metaphysical concept concerned with how entities continue to exist through time despite undergoing change. To ask about persistence is to ask under what conditions an entity at one time is the same entity at a later time.
Questions of persistence are central to debates about identity, change, and the nature of temporal existence.
Core idea
At its core, persistence addresses sameness over time. An entity persists if it exists at multiple times and is numerically identical across those times.
Persistence is not mere similarity or continuity; it concerns strict identity across temporal stages.
Persistence and change
Persistence is closely connected to change. Entities often gain or lose properties while persisting as the same entity.
This motivates distinguishing between changes that are compatible with persistence and changes that amount to destruction or replacement.
Criteria of persistence
Philosophers propose different criteria for persistence, including:
- continuity of material or structure;
- causal continuity;
- functional or organizational continuity;
- preservation of essential properties.
Different criteria may apply to different kinds of entities.
Endurance and perdurance
Two influential approaches to persistence are endurance and perdurance.
- Endurance holds that entities are wholly present at each moment of their existence.
- Perdurance holds that entities persist by having different temporal parts at different times.
These views differ in how they analyze change and identity.
Temporal parts
Perdurantist views introduce temporal parts, treating entities as extended across time in a way analogous to spatial extension.
Debate persists over whether temporal parts are metaphysically necessary or merely theoretical constructs.
Persistence and essence
Persistence conditions are often tied to essence. An entity is typically taken to persist as long as its essential features remain intact.
Loss of essential features is commonly treated as loss of persistence.
Persistence across possible circumstances
Modal reasoning raises questions about whether persistence conditions apply across alternative possibilities as well as across time.
This connects persistence to modality and counterfactual reasoning.
Persistence and kinds
Different kinds of entities may persist in different ways. Physical objects, biological organisms, institutions, and abstract entities may have distinct persistence conditions.
There may be no single account of persistence applicable to all entities.
Scientific perspectives
In science, persistence is often analyzed in terms of processes, structures, and continuity over time. Scientific accounts may emphasize dynamic stability rather than static identity.
These perspectives sometimes challenge purely metaphysical accounts.
Problems and puzzles
Classic puzzles of persistence involve gradual change, replacement of parts, or duplication. These puzzles test whether proposed criteria can handle complex cases.
Such puzzles motivate refinement of persistence theories.
Status
Persistence is a central and contested problem in metaphysics. Its analysis clarifies how identity, change, and time interact, and how entities can remain the same despite ongoing transformation.