Identity

I am 1 living thing. I am made up of 10 trillion cells, which are also living things. If I am alone in a room, how many living things are in the room? 1? 10 trillion? 10 trillion and 1?

Comments

Some philosophers would say that there are 10 trillion and 1 (at least). After all, you are a person and none of your cells is a person, so you are a distinct thing from each of them, and so an additional thing to all of them. Other philosophers would say that "living thing" is not a count noun because "thing" is not a count noun, and you need to be more specific about what you are counting. Is it persons? Then there is one. Is it cells? Then there are 10 trillion. I am dissatisfied with both these responses. It seems to me that "thing" is as much a count noun as is "item" in a sign for a grocery line that says "Six Items or Less." And it seems to me wrong to think that strictly speaking one should be barred from taking a six-pack through the "Six Items or Less" line because it is seven items: one six-pack plus six cans. Instead, it seems to me that the six-pack just is the six cans (neglecting packaging), not something in addition. The very same portion of reality can be accurately counted two different ways: as one thing or as six things. In your example, there is something in the room that can accurately be counted as one living thing or as 10 trillion living things.

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