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Designators, descriptions, and artifact persistence.

Kristan A Marchak¹, D Geoffrey Hall²

¹University of Alberta, Canada.

|June 25, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Ship of Theseus puzzle

Keywords:

Artifacts Descriptions Designators Individuals Persistence

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Philosophy of Mind
Metaphysics

Background:

The Ship of Theseus puzzle questions artifact persistence when components are replaced.
Philosophical debates have led to paradoxical conclusions about object identity over time.
Previous research conflated property persistence with individual persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the criteria underlying human judgments of individual artifact persistence.
To differentiate between property persistence and individual persistence in artifact identity.
To explore the influence of linguistic framing (description vs. designator) on persistence judgments.

Main Methods:

Three studies were conducted manipulating the linguistic expression used to label the original object.
Participants evaluated artifact persistence using either a descriptive label or a designator.
Judgments were analyzed based on the type of linguistic expression employed.

Main Results:

When using a description, participants favored objects matching the description, regardless of parts.
When using a designator, participants significantly favored the reassembled object made of original parts.
Linguistic framing critically influences whether persistence is based on properties or material continuity.

Conclusions:

Individual persistence judgments, when using designators, are not paradoxical.
These judgments are based on the continuity of an object's parts and material.
Distinguishing between descriptions and designators clarifies the nature of artifact persistence.