Identity, individuality and naming

The philosophical theorem “identity of the indiscernibles” (Leibniz’s law) is inspected from the standpoint of objects of our physical world. Although logically stringent, it suffers from a naïve use of terms such as objects and properties. A modified formulation that takes account of the coupling between objects and state and so matches reality, is proposed. The transition from indiscernibility to eventually individuality can be followed along increasing complexity, which leads to irreversible features and finally to irreproducibilty. This path is also mirrored by the issue of naming and the transition from physical, chemical nomenclature to biological nomenclature and finally personal naming. Personal names, in order for them to be adequate, require individuality and lack of reproducibility.