Critical comments of Harold N. Noonan’s theory of contingent identity

Abstract

Alla Gibbard’s famous essay on the possibility of contingent identity (1975) questions the validity of  Barcan and Kripke’s argument on the necessity of identity (1947, 1971). Gibbard’s theory has inspired several philosophers to rethink the problem of personal identity. The paper presents a critical analysis of Harold N. Noonan’s theory of contingent identity (1991, 1993, 2005, Curtis-Noonan 2014).