Hesperus is phosphorus, indeed

Abstract

Tobias Hansson Wahlberg argues in a recent article that the truth of ‘‘Hesperus is Phosphorus’’ depends on the assumption that the endurance theory of persistence is true. I argue that the premise Wahlberg’s conclusion is based upon leads to absurd consequences, therefore, nothing recommends it. As a consequence, ‘‘Hesperus is Phosphorus’’ has to be true, if it is true, regardless of which theory of persistence one is committed to.