Counterpart theory (CT) is a theoretical framework used in metaphysics to understand the sameness of identical entities in different worlds, or of an entity at different times in the same world. The counterpart relation (hereafter C-relation) differs from the notion of identity. Identity is a reflexive, symmetric and transitive relation. The counterpart relation is only a similarity relation, it doesn’t have to be transitive or symmetric.

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  • Counterpart theory (CT) is a theoretical framework used in metaphysics to understand the sameness of identical entities in different worlds, or of an entity at different times in the same world. The counterpart relation (hereafter C-relation) differs from the notion of identity. Identity is a reflexive, symmetric and transitive relation. The counterpart relation is only a similarity relation, it doesn’t have to be transitive or symmetric. The C-relation is also known as genidentity (Carnap 1967), I-relation (Lewis 1983) and the unity relation (Perry 1975). If identity is shared between objects in different possible worlds then the same object can can be said to exist in different possible worlds (a transworld object, or a series of objects sharing a single transworld identity). CT rejects that and instead treats all objects as being located in one and only one possible world, they are, so called, worldbound individuals. CT can also be applied to the identity of a single object at different points in time. The view that an object can exist retains its identity over time is often called Endurantism, and it claims that objects are ‘wholly present’ at different moments. An opposing view is that any object in time is made up of temporal parts or is perduring. A C-relation between objects at different times is called the stage view or exdurantism. The framework could also be considered part of semantics, because it can be seen as a theory about how ordinary names or indexicals refer to an entity in different contexts. It can also be used to understand what makes de re modal or temporal statements true.
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  • Counterpart theory (CT) is a theoretical framework used in metaphysics to understand the sameness of identical entities in different worlds, or of an entity at different times in the same world. The counterpart relation (hereafter C-relation) differs from the notion of identity. Identity is a reflexive, symmetric and transitive relation. The counterpart relation is only a similarity relation, it doesn’t have to be transitive or symmetric.
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  • Counterpart theory
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