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Maimonides and the Principle of the Identity of the Indistinguishable

שו”תCategory: generalMaimonides and the Principle of the Identity of the Indistinguishable
asked 6 years ago

Hello Rabbi,
As I understand it, at the beginning of the book of Science, regarding the uniqueness of the Name, Maimonides mentions that there cannot be two divine beings, but if there were two, then a characteristic would be needed that would distinguish and demarcate between them. But still, according to the Rabbi, it is possible for there to be two objects with exactly the same characteristics.
Also, I wanted to ask why the Rabbi thinks that the principle of identity is indeed incorrect? Although I agree that there is no essential connection between the properties of an object and its existence. I do think that there cannot be two objects with the same properties because one object would “override” the property of the other object. Of course, not every property is one-valued (for example, beauty, strength, power, etc.), but it is possible that there may be such properties as the location of an object.

If there were many deities, they would have bodies and bodies, because those who are equal in their reality are not separated from each other except by the events that occur in the bodies and bodies. But if the Creator of a body and a body had an end and purpose, it is impossible for there to be a body that has no end. And whatever has an end and purpose in its body, its power must have an end and an end. And our God, blessed be His name, since His power has no end and does not cease, for the wheel always turns, and His power is not the power of a body. And since He is not a body, the events of bodies will not occur to Him so that He is divided and separated from another, therefore He cannot be but one, and knowing this is a positive commandment, as it is said: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

 


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