Preface Prolegomena: Nomenclature and Problems Nomenclature Problems Intension of 'Individuality' Extension of 'Individuality' Ontological Status of Individuality Principle of Individuation Discernibility of Individuals Reference to Individuals Concluding Remarks 1. Intension of 'Individuality' What Individuality Is Not Individuality and Indivisibility Individuality and Distinction Individuality and Division Individuality and Identity Individuality and Impredicability Individuality as Noninstantiability 2. Extension of 'Individuality' Realism: Nothing that Exists Is Individual Transcendental Realism Immanent Realism Appeal and Weakness of Realism Nominalism: Everything that Exists Is Individual Essential Nominalism Derivative Nominalism Appeal and Weakness of Nominalism Eclecticism: Some Things that Exist Are Individual and Some Are Not Bare Particular View Characterized Particular View Bundle View Appeal and Weakness of Eclecticism Extension of 'Individuality' Preliminary Clarifications To What Things Do Individuality and Universality Extend? Do Individuals and Universals Exist? Summary 3. Ontological Status of Individuality Medieval Controversy Contemporary Reformulation Wrong Ontological Interpretations Individuality as Mode 4. Principle of Individuation Individuation of Substances Bundle Theory of Individuation Accidental Theories of Individuation Essential Theories of Individuation Extrinsic Theories of Individuation Individuation of Features Substance Theory of the Individuation of Features Feature Theory of the Individuation of Features Individuation of Other Entries Principle of Individuation The Problem and the Alternatives Revisited The Existential Theory of Individuation 5. Discernibility of Individuals Discernibility of Individual Substances Spatio-Temporal Theory of Individual Substance Discernibility Bundle Theory of Individual Substance Discernibility Sui Generis Theory of Individual Substance Discernibility Discernibility of Features Discernibility of Features through Substance Discernibility of Features through Features Principle of Identity of Indiscernibles 6. Reference to Individuals: Proper Names, Definite Descriptions, and Indexicals Proper Names Reference View of Proper Names Descriptivist View of Proper Names Causal View of Proper Names Threefold View of Proper Names Definite Descriptions Indexicals Assessment: A Metaphysics of Individuality Notes Bibliography Index of Authors Index of Subjects

"Gracia has a greater command of both the literature and the intricacies of the problem than any living philosopher. He leads the reader step by step through the vast terrain of the topic without being side-tracked. This is not only a knowledgeable book, but a well-crafted one." — Jude Dougherty, The Catholic University of America