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University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Canadian public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the provincial legislature in 1907. It established the provincial university on March 19, 1907 "for the purpose of providing facilities for higher education in all its branches and enabling all persons without regard to race, creed or religion to take the fullest advantage". The University of Saskatchewan is the largest education institution in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The University of Saskatchewan is one of Canada's top research universities (based on the number of Canada Research Chairs) and is a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities (the 15 most research-intensive universities in Canada).

The university began as an agricultural college in 1907 and established the first Canadian university-based department of extension in 1910. There were 300 acre set aside for university buildings and 1000 acre for the U of S farm, and agricultural fields. In total 10.32 km² was annexed for the university. The main university campus is situated upon 2425 acre, with another 500 acre allocated for Innovation Place Research Park. The University of Saskatchewan agriculture college still has access to neighbouring urban research lands. The University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) facility, (2003) develops DNA-enhanced immunization vaccines for both humans and animals. The university is also home to the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, which is considered one of the largest and most innovative investments in Canadian science. Discoveries made at the U of S include sulphate-resistant cement and the cobalt-60 cancer therapy unit. The university offers over 200 academic programs.

Beginnings

The institution was modelled on the American state university, with an emphasis on extension work and applied research. The University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, was granted a provincial charter on March 19, 1907. A provincial statute known as the University Act. It provided for a publicly funded, yet independent institution to be created for the citizens of the whole province.

The governance was modelled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to perform institutional leadership. The scope of the new institution was to include colleges of arts and science, including art, music and commerce, agriculture with forestry, domestic science, education, engineering, law, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science and dentistry.

Saskatoon was chosen as the site for the university on April 7, 1909, by the board of governors. On October 12, 1912, the first building opened its doors for student admission. It awarded its first degrees in 1912. Duncan P. McColl was appointed as the first registrar, establishing the first convocation from which Chief Justice Edward L. Wetmore was elected as the first chancellor. Walter Charles Murray became the first president of the university's board of governors. In the early part of this century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law and medicine. Graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced.

Battleford, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon all lobbied to be the location of the new university. Walter Murray preferred the provincial capital, Regina. In a politically influenced vote, Saskatoon was chosen on April 7, 1909.

Designed by David Robertson Brown (architect), the Memorial Gates were erected in 1927 at the corner of College Drive and Hospital Drive in honour of the University of Saskatchewan alumni who served in the First World War. A stone wall bears inscriptions of the names of the sixty seven university students and faculty who lost their lives while on service during World War I. The hallways of the Old Administrative Building (College Building) at the University of Saskatchewan are decorated with memorial scrolls in honour of the University of Saskatchewan alumni who served in the World Wars.

342 students, faculty, and staff enlisted for World War I. Of these, 67 were killed, 100 were wounded, and 33 were awarded medals of valour.

The University of Saskatchewan's Arms were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on February 15, 2001.

Campus
A location next to the South Saskatchewan River, across from the city centre of Saskatoon, was selected for the campus. David Robertson Brown of Brown & Vallance were the initial architects constructing a campus plan and the first university buildings in Collegiate Gothic style: The Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, laid the cornerstone of the first building, the College Building, on July 29, 1910. The first building to be started on the new campus, the College Building, built 1910–1912 opened in 1913; in 2001, it was declared a National Historic Site of Canada.

Brown & Vallance designed the Administration Building (1910–12); Saskatchewan Hall Student Residence (1910–12). Brown & Vallance designed the Engineering Building (1910–12) as well as additions 1913 in 1920 and rebuilt the building after it burned in 1925. Brown & Vallance designed the Barn and Stock Pavilion (1910–12) and Emmanuel College (1910–12). Brown & Vallance built the Faculty Club (1911–12) and rebuilt it after it burned in 1964. Brown & Vallance constructed the President's Residence (1911–13) Qu'Appelle Hall Student Residence (1914–16) Physics Building (1919–21); Chemistry Building (1922–23); St. Andrew's Presbyterian College (1922–23); Memorial Gates (1927–28) and the Field Husbandry Building (1929).

The original buildings were built using native limestone – greystone – which was mined just north of campus. Over the years, this greystone became one of the most recognizable campus signatures. When the local supply of limestone was exhausted, the university turned to Tyndall stone, which is quarried in Manitoba. Saskatchewan's Provincial University and Agricultural College were officially opened May 1, 1913 by Hon. Walter Scott.

The original architectural plan called for the university buildings to be constructed around a green space known as The Bowl. The original university buildings are now connected by skywalks and tunnels. Clockwise, from the north; Thorvaldson Building (August 22, 1924) (Spinks addition); Geology, W.P. Thompson Biology (1960) adjoined to Physics Building (1921); College Building (May 1, 1913) (Administration addition); Saskatchewan conjoined with Athabasca Hall (1964); Qu'Appelle Hall (1916); Marquis Hall adjoined to Place Riel – Qu'Appelle Addition; Murray Memorial Main Library (1956); Arts (1960) conjoined with Law and adjoined to Commerce building complete the initial circle around the perimeter of the bowl.

Francis Henry Portnall and Frank Martin designed the Dairy & Soils Laboratory (1947).

Establishment of colleges

Roughly adhering to the original plan of 1909, numerous colleges were established: Arts & Science (1909); Agriculture, now called Agriculture and Bioresources (1912); Engineering (1912); Law (1913); Pharmacy, now called Pharmacy & Nutrition (1914); Commerce, now the N. Murray Edwards School of Business (1917); Medicine (1926); Education (1927); Home Economics (1928); Nursing (1938); Graduate Studies and Research (1946); Physical Education, now called Kinesiology (1958); Veterinary Medicine (1964); Dentistry (1965); and the School of Physical Therapy (1976).

The U of S also has several graduate programs amongst these colleges, which give rise to a master's or doctorate degree. In 1966, the University of Saskatchewan introduced a master's program in adult education. Diploma, and certificate post secondary courses are also available to aid in professional development.

Theological colleges, affiliated with the university, were also established: Emmanuel College – (Anglican denomination) (1909), St. Andrew's College (as Presbyterian College, Saskatoon) then United Church of Canada (1913), Lutheran Theological Seminary (1920), St. Thomas More College (1936), and Central Pentecostal College (1983).

Regina College was saved from bankruptcy and became part of the university in 1934, and was given degree-granting privileges in 1959, making it a second University of Saskatchewan campus. By another act of legislation in 1974, Regina College was made an independent institution known as the University of Regina.

The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society. The single-university policy in the West was changed as existing colleges of the provincial universities gained autonomy as universities.

Correspondence courses were established in 1929.

Other federated and affiliated colleges include Briercrest Bible College and Biblical Seminary in Caronport, Saskatchewan; Gabriel Dumont College and St. Peter's Historic Junior College in Muenster, Saskatchewan.

Later development
In the late 1990s, the U of S launched a major revitalisation program, comprising new capital projects such as an expansion to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the building of a new parkade, and a revision of its internal road layout (which has already seen the East Road access being realigned). The Thorvaldson Building, which is home to the departments of chemistry and computer science, hosts a new expansion known as the Spinks addition. The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition has also had a number of renovations.

Land holdings
Up until the late 1980s, the University of Saskatchewan held an extensive area of land in the northeast quadrant of Saskatoon, stretching far beyond the core campus, east of Preston Avenue and north of the Sutherland and Forest Grove subdivisions. Much of this land was used for farming, though some areas were intended for future campus and facility development. In the late 1980s, most U of S land beyond Circle Drive was earmarked for residential development; Silverspring was the first of these neighbourhoods to be developed.

Another section of land, west of the Preston Avenue/Circle Drive interchange and north of the Canadian Pacific Railway line, was zoned for commercial use, and led to "big box" retail development in the early 2000s called Preston Crossing. Realignment of two major roads in the area around this same time (Preston Avenue and 108th Street) also used up a portion of university land. The U of S obtained a large tract of land immediately east of the Saskatoon city limits after the city annexed the northeastern section of U of S land (this land has since been itself annexed into the city). The U of S leased a site to the Correctional Service of Canada north of Attridge Drive on Central Avenue for the Regional Psychiatric Centre. It has an additional undeveloped parcel of land at Central Avenue and Fedoruk Road.

In the 1970s and again in the 1980s, the U of S considered opening up some of its land holdings south of College Drive and north of 14th Street for residential development, but opposition from nearby neighbourhoods that appreciated the "green belt" offered by the university led to these plans being dropped. The city has refrained from indicating any residential development plans for the newer land holdings in the northeast, allowing another green belt to be created separating the new communities of Evergreen and Aspen Ridge from other parts of the city.

The City of Saskatoon's Fire Station No. 5 was relocated to the university's land on Preston Avenue North in 2023. It replaced the former station on Central Avenue in the Sutherland neighbourhood, which dated back to 1967.

Ranking
The University of Saskatchewan has placed in post-secondary school rankings. In the 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities rankings, the university ranked 301–400 in the world and 12–17 in Canada. The 2025 QS World University Rankings ranked the university 340th in the world and 14th in Canada. The 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed the university 351–400 in the world, and 16th in Canada. In U.S. News & World Report 2022–23 global university rankings, the university placed 441st, and 18th in Canada. In Maclean's 2024 rankings, Saskatchewan placed 15th in their Medical-Doctoral university category, and 21st in their reputation ranking for Canadian universities.

Programs
The University of Saskatchewan offers a wide variety of programs and courses. Agriculture and Bioresources, Arts and Science, Biotechnology, Edwards School of Business, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Kinesiology, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Physical Therapy and Veterinary Medicine.

In addition, the university's affiliated colleges and Centre for Continuing and Distance Education offer degree programs, certificates, and training programs. Many affiliated colleges allow students to complete the first two years of a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree, and some offer full degrees in education, native studies, and theology.

Research
In 1948, the university built the first betatron facility in Canada. Three years later, the world's first non-commercial cobalt-60 therapy unit was constructed. (The first female chancellor of the university, Sylvia Fedoruk, was a member of the cobalt-60 research team. She also served as Saskatchewan's lieutenant-governor from 1988 to 1994.) The success of these facilities led to the construction of a linear accelerator as part of the Saskatchewan Accelerator Laboratory in 1964 and placed university scientists at the forefront of nuclear physics in Canada. The Plasma Physics Laboratory operates a tokamak on campus. The university used the SCR-270 radar in 1949 to image the Aurora for the first time.

Experience gained from years of research and collaboration with global researchers led to the University of Saskatchewan being selected as the site of Canada's national facility for synchrotron light research, the Canadian Light Source. This facility opened October 22, 2004 and is the size of a football field.

The university also is home to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. Innovation Place Research Park is an industrial science and technology park that hosts private industry working with the university.

Partner universities

 * Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
 * Xi'an Jiao Tong University, Xi'an, China
 * University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
 * Darmstadt University of Technology, Darmstadt, Germany
 * Vellore Institute of Technology, India
 * University of Oslo, Norway
 * University of Canterbury, New Zealand
 * University of Oxford, Oxford, England
 * Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Administration and governance
The University Act provided that the university should provide "facilities for higher education in all its branches and enabling all persons without regard to race, creed or religion to take the fullest advantage". It further stated that "no woman shall by reason of her sex be deprived of any advantage or privilege accorded to the male students of the university." Seventy students began the first classes on September 28, 1909. The first class graduated on May 1, 1912. Of the three students who earned graduation honours, two were women. The University of Saskatchewan has a tricameral governance structure, defined by the University of Saskatchewan Act, consisting of a Board of Governors, University Council, and Senate, as well as the General Academic Assembly. Financial, management, as well as administration affairs are handled by the Board of Governors, which comprises 11 members. The University of Saskatchewan liaison between the public and professional sector is dealt with by the university Senate, a body of 100 representatives. Finally, University Council is made up of a combination of 116 faculty and students. Council is the university's academic governing body, responsible for "overseeing and directing the University's academic affairs." The General Academic Assembly consists of all faculty members and elected students. As of 2006, faculty and staff total 7,000, and student enrolment comprised 15,005 full-time students as well as 3,552 part-time students.

The university senior administration consists of the President and Vice-Chancellor Professor, Peter Stoicheff; the Provost and Vice-president Academic, Professor Arini; Vice-president (Finance & Resources), Greg Fowler; Vice-president (Research), Professor Baljit Singh; and the vice-president (University Relations) Debra Pozega Osburn.

Campus life and facilities
The Sheaf, a student publication, was first published in 1912, monthly or less frequently. By 1920, it was published weekly with the aim of becoming a more unifying influence on student life. It has continued to publish.

In 1965, a student-run campus radio station, CJUS-FM began broadcasting on a non-commercial basis. In 1983, the station became a limited commercial station. By 1985, however, funding was no longer provided, and the campus radio presence died. In early 2005, CJUS was revived in an internet radio form and continues to broadcast today. The university also maintains a relationship with the independent community radio station CFCR-FM, which actively solicits volunteers on campus.

Place Riel Theatre, a campus theatre, was opened in 1975, as was Louis, a campus pub. Place Riel, the existing campus student centre, opened in 1980, and now holds retail outlets, arcade, lounge space, student group meeting areas, and a food court; it is undergoing expansion and renovation, slated for completion in 2012–2013. These facilities were named after Louis Riel. In the late 1990s, Place Riel Theatre stopped public showings and it is now used for campus movie features and lectures.

The University of Saskatchewan Students' Union is the students' union representing full-time undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan.

Since 1992, the graduate students are represented by the University of Saskatchewan Graduate Student's Association (GSA-uSask), a not-for-profit student organization that provides services, events, student clubs and advocacy work to the graduate students of the U of S. Since 2007, the GSA-uSask is located in the Emmanuel and St. Chad Chapel, also called GSA Commons.

Campus sports teams in U Sports use the name Saskatchewan Huskies. The U of S Huskies compete in eight men's sports: Canadian football, basketball, cross country, hockey, soccer, track and field, volleyball and wrestling and seven women's sports: basketball, cross country, hockey, soccer, track and field, volleyball and wrestling. The Huskies Track and Field team has won the national championships on 12 occasions and is the most successful team on campus The men's Huskies football team has won the Vanier Cup as national champions on three occasions; in 1990, 1996, and 1998.

Museums and galleries
The Agricultural Displays and Kloppenburg Collection are hosted in the Agriculture & Bioresources College. The agricultural wall displays are located in the walkway connecting the Agriculture Building and the Biology Building. The Kloppenburg Collection is featured on the sixth floor of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources building which opened in 1991. Twenty seven works by famous Saskatchewan artists are featured in this donation to the University of Saskatchewan. Beamish Conservatory and Leo Kristjanson Atrium is also located within the Agriculture & Bioresources College. The Leo Kristjanson atrium is located in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources building and hosts the conservatory. The Beamish Conservatory is named in honour of the donor May Beamish who is the daughter of artist Augustus Kenderdine.

The University of Saskatchewan's 75th Anniversary in 1984 was the starting catalyst for the Athletic Wall of Fame at which time 75 honours were bestowed. The wall of fame celebrates achievements by athletes, teams securing a regional and/or national championship, as well as builders who can be either an administrator, coach, manager, trainer or other major contributor toward the Huskie athletic community for a time period of at least 10 years and have provided outstanding notable support. As of 2001, an annual event, the Huskie Salute inaugurates a new candidate into the Athletic Wall of Fame.

The College Building was officially declared a Canadian National Historic Site by Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage on February 27, 2001. The College Building was the first building under construction on the university, and upon completion was used for agriculture degree classes.

The Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker Centre for the Study of Canada, also known as the Diefenbaker Canada Centre, houses the Diefenbaker paper collection and legacy, changing exhibit, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and the Native Law Centre. The grave site of Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker is located near this museum.

The Gordon Snelgrove Gallery is teaching facility and a public gallery that is managed through the Department of Art & Art History. It provides a venue for new work by artists and curators both within the department and the wider community. It has a full-time director and a number of part-time staff.

Additionally, the gallery curates the Department of Art and Art History Collection, consisting of select works from graduating students. Art from the collection is displayed throughout the Murray Building, the university library, a number of sites on campus and the gallery website.

The gallery is located at 191 Murray Building on the University of Saskatchewan campus. It is open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm and closed weekends and holidays.

The Kenderdine Art Gallery celebrated its official opening October 25, 1991. Augustus Frederick Lafosse (Gus) Kenderdine began the University Art Camp at Emma Lake in 1936, the precursor to the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus, a bequest was donated to the University of Saskatchewan by his daughter, Mrs. May Beamish, and initialized the formation of the Kenderdine Art Gallery which has a permanent collection started by Dr. Murray, as well as ongoing exhibits. The Kenderdine collection consists of archival material and 4,000 works, including paintings, sketches, ceramics, porcelain or pottery, glass, textiles or tapestries many by 19th and 20th century Saskatchewan, Canadian and international artists. The MacAulay Pharmaceutical Collection is located in the Thorvaldson Building, Room 118A. The collection showcases early 20th-century pharmaceutical paraphernalia, as well as early First Nations remedies such as cherry bark syrup and smartweed.

The Memorial Gates were constructed in honour of those U of S students who made the ultimate sacrifice. Inscribed on the gates themselves is an inscription, “These are they who went forth from this University to the Great War and gave their lives that we might live in freedom.” The gates originally straddled the main road entrance to the campus via University Drive (later, this became the access road into Royal University Hospital); when a new road access, Hospital Drive, was constructed to the west in the 1990s, the gates were preserved in their original location.

The Museum of Antiquities started its collection in 1974, and opened in 1981 at its new location. The museum celebrates notable artistic, sculptural and art achievements of various civilizations and eras.

The Museum of Natural Sciences in the geology building features a two-story high plant-filled atrium demonstrating the evolution of life on earth. It houses a live gallery of animals including aquariums, and extensive geological specimens as well as paleontological specimens, including a full-size skeletal replica of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The University of Saskatchewan Observatory offers public viewing hours, school tours, as well as an adopt-a-star program. An adopted star can commemorate a special or significant achievement, or person and the award is given via certificate, honourable registry mention and maps of star location and facts sheet.

The Rugby Chapel, built in 1912 (as a gift from the students of Rugby School) and moved from Prince Albert, has been declared a City of Saskatoon Municipal Heritage Property. Rugby Chapel, the precursor to College of Emmanuel and St. Chad was first constructed in 1883 and designated The University of Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Provisional District of the North West Territories), in Prince Albert.

The St. Thomas More College Art Gallery was first opened in 1964 and hosts artwork of local and regional artists.

The Victoria School House, known also as the Little Stone School House, was built in 1888 as the first school house of the Temperance Colony. The one room school house was originally constructed in Nutana. The location is now known as five corners at the south or top of the Broadway Bridge. The school yard at one time comprised three school houses, as the population grew. The little stone school house was preserved and moved on campus. It was declared a historic site on June 1, 1967.

School songs
The University of Saskatchewan's fight song "Saskatchewan, Our University", was written by Russell Hopkins in 1939. Hopkins was notable in the university community at the time, and won a Rhodes Scholarship in 1932. The fight song is commonly played at sporting events.

Also composed for the university is an Alma Mater hymn known as "University Hymn". Neil Harris wrote the hymn in 1949. The hymn is performed at convocation events.

Residence life

 * Voyageur Place 'Room and board' residences on the University of Saskatchewan campus and comprises four separate halls.
 * Saskatchewan Hall was the first student residence of the university and was completed in 1912. Originally called University Hall, it was designed to provide residences for 150 students. Saskatchewan Hall was named for the Saskatchewan River.
 * Qu'Appelle Hall was originally known as Student's Residence No. 2 and officially opened in 1916. The design housed 120 students, and in 1963 an addition for 60 additional student residences was completed. The Qu'Appelle Hall Addition is the fourth residence of Voyageur Place and houses male students. Qu'Appelle Hall was named for the Qu'Appelle River.
 * Athabasca Hall provides 270 residences and was completed in 1964. It is now a co-ed hall. Athabasca Hall was named for the Athabasca River.

Voyageur Place has historically been organized on the house system, with each house named after an explorer associated with Saskatchewan's early history. Thus, traditionally there were three male houses: Hearne House (named after Samuel Hearne and consisting of the residents of Saskatchewan Hall); Kelsey (named after Henry Kelsey and consisting of the residents of Qu'Appelle Hall); and Lav (named after Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye and consisting of the residents of Qu'Appelle Hall Addition). There were also three female houses (all of which were composed of residents of the all-female Athabasca Hall): Pond (named after Peter Pond), Henday (named after Anthony Henday), and Palliser (named after John Palliser).
 * McEown Park – Residence complex south of the university campus. Opening ceremonies were October 2, 1970 for the four high rise complex. McEown Park was named in honour of a university administrator, A.C. McEown.
 * Souris Hall is an apartment complex for married students with families. Souris Hall, named after the Souris River, is a nine-storey town house, comprising 67 two-bedroom apartments.
 * Assiniboine Hall is an eleven-storey apartment house which has 23 two-bedroom and 84 one-bedroom apartments available for married or single students without families. Assiniboine Hall was named for the Assiniboine River.
 * Wollaston Hall was added to McEown Park complex in 1976, providing 21 two-bedroom and 83 one-bedroom apartments.
 * Seager Wheeler Hall provides housing for single students living in small groups in a fourteen-storey residential house. Seager Wheeler Hall was named in honour of Seager Wheeler, a notable Saskatchewan pioneer for breeding wheat. This residence was on the original three complexes built at McEown Park.

Graduate House is the university's newest residence, which opened in 2013 in the College Quarter.

Indigenization, Reconciliation and Decolonization

In 2017, the University of Saskatchewan appointed Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann as the Vice Provost Indigenous Engagement.

The University of Saskatchewan provides services to Indigenous people in more remote communities. The University of Saskatchewan Summer University Transition Course brings first-year Indigenous students to campus before the start of the school year for some campus orientation. Academic counsellors, tutors and elders are present on campus at the University of Saskatchewan to provide academic and social supports.

Science outreach Kamskénow program
The Science outreach Kamskénow program, runs out of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan. PotashCorp Kamskénow is a science outreach program that provides hands-on learning in Saskatoon classrooms based on each of the Division of Science disciplines at the U of S: biology, chemistry, computer science, geological sciences, mathematics and physics. Rather than a one-time school visit, the program offers students 12 weeks of classroom activities culminating in a trip to on-campus labs in week 13. All sessions are led by U of S graduate and undergraduate students. This program has been chosen as the joint winner of the 2014 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Award for the North America region. Additional funding for PotashCorp Kamskénow comes from NSERC, the Community Initiatives Fund, the College of Arts & Science and U of S Community Engagement and Outreach.

Students and alumni

Between 1907 and 2007 there have been over 132,200 members of the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association. The alumni feature those who have successfully graduated from a degree, certificate and/or diploma programme at the University of Saskatchewan.

Notable faculty and researchers

 * Ken Coates (1956–), historian, Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and Director of the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development
 * Sylvia Fedoruk, University Chancellor, Professor in Oncology, Associate Member in Physics, and Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan (1988–1994)
 * Paul Finkelman (1949–), historian and legal scholar, Ariel F. Sallows Visiting Professor of Human Rights Law, College of Law
 * Herbert V. Günther (1917–2006), Buddhist scholar and philosopher
 * Gerhard Herzberg, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1970; offered a position in 1935 to flee Nazi Germany, and remained at the university for ten years
 * J.W. Grant MacEwan, Director of the School of Agriculture, Professor of Animal Husbandry, and Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta (1966–1974)
 * Hilda Neatby (1904–1975), historian
 * Elizabeth Quinlan, sociologist
 * William Sarjeant, geologist and novelist
 * Thorbergur Thorvaldson, chemist and first dean of graduate studies at the university
 * Curt Wittlin (1941–2019), philologist and expert in medieval literature
 * Amira Abdelrasoul, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
 * Carl L. von Baeyer, professor emeritus of Psychology

Notable alumni

 * Anahita Akhavan, painter
 * Marilyn Atkinson, founder and president of Erickson Coaching International
 * Lorne Babiuk, scientist
 * Carl L. von Baeyer, psychologist
 * Michael Byers, political scientist at the University of British Columbia and federal NDP candidate in the Vancouver Centre riding
 * Alastair G. W. Cameron, astrophysicist who studied the origin of the chemical elements and the origin of the Moon
 * Kim Coates, actor
 * Jonathan Denis, Alberta MLA and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (LLB, 2000)
 * Grant Devine, 11th Premier of Saskatchewan
 * John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada
 * Diefenbaker was also the university's chancellor. After he died, he and his wife were buried at the university, near the Diefenbaker Canada Centre
 * N. Murray Edwards, business owner, co-owner of the Calgary Flames NHL franchise
 * Edith Fowke, Canadian folklorist
 * Sherine Gabriel, President of Rush University (Chicago)
 * Woodrow Lloyd, 8th Premier of Saskatchewan
 * Emmett Matthew Hall (1898–1995), Supreme Court judge and a father of the Canadian system of Medicare
 * Lynda Haverstock, Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan (2000–2006), leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party (1989–1995)
 * John Hewson, Australian politician
 * Ray Hnatyshyn, 24th Governor General of Canada
 * Andrew David Irvine, playwright and University of British Columbia professor
 * Fredrick W. Johnson, 16th Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan
 * Peter Makaroff, Doukhobor peace activist
 * William McIntyre, former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada; authored the dissent in the landmark abortion case R. v. Morgentaler'' (1988)
 * Scott Moe, 15th (and current) Premier of Saskatchewan
 * Permanand Mohan, senior computer science lecturer at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago; Chief Examiner for the Caribbean Examinations Council's CAPE Examinations in Computer Science
 * Carson Morrison, Engineering Institute of Canada Fellow, Canadian Silver Jubilee Medal, Ontario Engineering Society Order of Honour, Canadian Standards Association Jean-Paul Carriere Award
 * Caia Morstad, volleyball player
 * Hilda Neatby (1904–1975), historian
 * George Porteous, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
 * Zenon Pylyshyn (1937–2022), cognitive scientist and philosopher
 * Alison Redford, 14th Premier of Alberta
 * Tracy A. Robinson, CEO of Canadian National Railway
 * Ron Robison, commissioner of the Western Hockey League
 * Terry Earl Robinson, Elliot S. Valenstein Distinguished University Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience at The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).
 * Roy Romanow, 12th Premier of Saskatchewan
 * Rylan Wiens, Olympic Diver
 * Lorna Russell, artist
 * Nicole Sarauer, Saskatchewan MLA and former Leader of the Official Opposition
 * Sandra Semchuk, Canadian photographic artist
 * Henry Taube, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1983
 * Gordon Thiessen, former Governor of the Bank of Canada
 * Guy Vanderhaeghe (1951– ), novelist, winner of the Governor General's Award, officer of the Order of Canada
 * Brad Wall, 14th Premier of Saskatchewan

Rhodes Scholars
In all, 69 graduates of the University of Saskatchewan have gone on to receive the Rhodes Scholarship. These include Wilbur Jackett (1933) and Mark Abley (1975).

Histories of the university

 * Michael Hayden Seeking a Balance: The University of Saskatchewan, 1907–1982 (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1982)
 * Michael Hayden. "The Fight that Underhill Missed: Government and Academic Freedom at the University of Saskatchewan, 1919–1920." InAcademic Freedom: Harry Crowe Memorial Lectures 1986, edited by Michiel Horn. North York: York University, 1987.
 * Arthur S. Morton, Saskatchewan: The Making of a University (Toronto: University of Toronto Press) Call Number Peake 347.M.08.0
 * Shirley Spafford No Ordinary Academics: Economics and Political Science at the University of Saskatchewan, 1910–1960 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, July 1, 2000)
 * James Sutherland Thomson, Yesteryears at the University of Saskatchewan 1937–1949 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1949) Call Number 347.M.10.0
 * W.P. Thompson, The University of Saskatchewan: A Personal History (Toronto: University of Toronto Press) Call Number Peake 365.2.M.01.0
 * The National Film Board of Canada documentary "Prairie University" (1955) directed by John Feeney explores diverse research activities at the University of Saskatchewan on agriculture, medicine, and ice cream.

title: University of Saskatchewan


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Bill Hamilton (engineer)

Sir Charles William Feilden Hamilton (26 July 1899 – 30 March 1978) was a New Zealand engineer who developed the modern jetboat, and founded the water jet manufacturing company, CWF Hamilton Ltd.

Hamilton never claimed to have invented the jet boat. He once said "I do not claim to have invented marine jet propulsion. The honour belongs to a gentleman named Archimedes, who lived some years ago." What he did was refine the design enough to produce the first useful modern jet boat.

Early life
Hamilton was born at Ashwick Station near Fairlie, New Zealand.

Hamilton survived an airplane accident returning to Rongotai Airport (Wellington) in poor conditions on 19 February 1936. The collision with the anemometer mast took the starboard wing off the fastest 'plane in the country, the Miles Falcon Six he was travelling in, and pilot Malcolm "Mac" McGregor died in hospital.

At the age of 21 he bought the 'Irishman Creek' sheep station in South Canterbury. After a trip to England became fascinated with motor cars and raced a Bentley. He decided to develop his own heavy machinery. He built a workshop, developed an excavator with an earth scoop and built a dam to supply water for a hydroelectric plant to supply power for domestic use and for his engineering projects, and started a manufacturing business.

Ski tows
In 1947 tourism pioneer Harry Wigley of Mount Cook airline fame commissioned him to design and build the first tow for the Coronet Peak Ski Field near Queenstown New Zealand's first commercial skifield. In 1949 he completed a similar tow at Mount Ruapehu. Within a few years he had perfected the Hamilton Model B design that is still in use for nutcracker ski tows in New Zealand and Australia.

Christchurch
The main manufacturing business, which had started in the workshop at Irishman Creek in 1939, moved to Christchurch in 1948. From there the company supplied heavy machinery, in particular to the Waitaki River hydroelectric projects.

Jet boats
In the 1950s Hamilton set out to try to build a boat that could navigate the shallow fast flowing rivers where he lived. The rivers were too shallow for propeller driven boats to navigate as the propeller would hit the river bottom.

He investigated the American Hanley Hydro-Jet, a model which drew in water and fired it out through a steerable nozzle underneath the boat. Even when further adapted it did not work well. An employee suggested moving the nozzle to just above the waterline.

When he took one of his early demonstration jet boats to the United States, the media scoffed when he said he planned to take it up the Colorado River, but in 1960 three Hamilton jet boats, the Kiwi, Wee Red and Dock, became the first and only boats to travel up through the Grand Canyon. The boats also went down river through the Grand Canyon to cache petrol just prior to the uprun. The Grand Canyon trip planning, logistics for 2,500 gallons of fuel, and fuel placement was coordinated by famous Grand Canyon river runner Otis "Dock" Marston.

CWF Hamilton & Co Ltd
The engineering company Hamilton founded, CWF Hamilton & Co Ltd, is now the holding company for two companies, Hamilton Jet and Hamilton Marine, that are focused on the production of waterjet propulsion systems. The company has divested itself of its other engineering activities.

Honours and awards
In the 1961 New Year Honours, Hamilton was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to engineering. In the 1974 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to manufacturing.

In 2004, Hamilton was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Books

 * "Wild Irishman", 1969, Lady Peggy Hamilton, (Publisher A.H. & A.W. Reed)
 * "Hamilton Jet: The biography of an icon", 2014, John Walsh, ISBN 9780473289904 (Publisher: CWF Hamilton and Co)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bill Hamilton (engineer)


text:
Talk:Identity (philosophy)

Split
OK, this needs to be split up. Any ideas for useful page titles? --FOo 23:01 14 Jul 2003 (UTC)

OBSCURE RELATION example Clark Kent is Superman was removed for its irrelevance to the topic. ie it was not sufficiently generic and too American for globally encompassing understanding. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.209.62.164 (talk) 19:50, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

Point Clarification
I'm curious what the point of this paragraph is:

 * Two objects can be called identical, meaning that they have the same shape, size and other properties. Thus, when we interchange the two objects, we do not see any difference. However, in terms of a stricter sense of identity, the initial and final situation are different. By observing not just the initial and final situation but the move itself, we can know this.

Whatever it is, I think it would be expressed more clearly in something like this:

 * We sometimes say two things are identical iff they have every property except spatial location in common. This we can say "this box is identical to that one." At other times, though, we say two things are identical iff they have absolutely every property in common. If we take "identity" in this sense, it's impossible to point to two identical boxes.

Would this be a reasonable replacement, or would the replacement result in missing some more profound point? Maybe something more profound would arise, for example, if we considered non-spatial things -- because non-spatial things don't have the constraint that "they can't be in the same place at the same time".

--Ryguasu 12:48, 9 Sep 2003 (EDT)

Response

 * I think the notion of identity in metaphysics goes deeper than that. Identity is an object's relation to itself, not merely to objects that resemble it strongly. It doesn't really make sense to say that "two objects are identical if ...", because if x and y are identical, then they are not two objects; they are two names for one object.

 * You mean, presumably, that "they" are a single object with two names (Be clear: are x and y the things or the names?)

 * What we are asking, it seems to me, is not "Are two objects interchangeable if ... ?" but rather "What is that relationship, which x has to itself, that it does not have to any object other than itself?" Or, put another way, "Given two names or descriptions x and y, by what means can we discern if they in fact name the same object?"

 * If you are familiar with the Lisp programming language, you might consider the difference between the predicates EQ and EQUAL. (EQUAL X Y) returns truth if the variables X and Y refer to data objects that are equivalent -- roughly, if you print them both out, they will look the same. (EQ X Y), however, returns truth only if X and Y are two names for the same data object in memory. --FOo 14:27, 9 Sep 2003 (EDT)

Response2
I would like to take Ryguasu's proposal one step further: a definition of identity should not refer to any particular property, not even spatial location: after all, we may wonder if two things we see in the same spot, but at different times, are the same. So my phrasing would be something like:

 * The identity of an object is its being a particular member of a given set, rather than some other member. Put in terms of traditional theory on semantics, it is the reference of a description (a predicate).  For example, a description could be the owner of the bike with a broken saddle who was here yesterday; it refers to a particular person; this relationship between this description and the person we call the identity of that person.  (It's a property of a term within this description, not a property of the person himself!)

 * This is much too confusing. Why bring in sets at all?  Surely the first sentence would be better expressed by  "...it's being a particular object and not any other object".  That way one also doesn't raise the specter of things tat can't belong to sets, such as (arguably) properties, "proper classes" (or, as Quine called them, "ultimate classes", and vague objects, all of which haev been discussed extensively by philosophers and logicians in relation to identity.  Descriptions and predicates are not quite the same. (The description you offer is not a predicate; if it began with the word is, it would be one.)  And not all objects are referred to by descriptions, or at all.  (First, there is the issue of substitutional versus ontic quantification.  Second, there is the difference between names and descriptions.) And no, despite some careless remarks by Frege, it is generally agreed by logicians that identity is not a relation between terms, but between objects. (What you are thinking of is the fact that identity statements are informative only when expressed using two different referring expressions.)

 * Identity is a controversial issue in computer programming, mathematical logic, and particularly in their meeting ground, database theory. Traditional logic, and relational database theory, describes things in terms of their observable properties and relationships: reference and identity do not exist between elements of a description, but are links between the description and the world it applies to.  In terms of the description, objects cannot be compared other than by comparing their observable properties.  Programming languages, however, are full of references (pointers), and the issue is whether such a thing should be allowed in conceptual descriptions of the world - such as relational databases.  Does it make sense to be able to state that a person's parent is identical to some other person's parent, or should we fundamentally state this relationship in terms of observable properties that we hold in the database, and by which parents can be identified?  A system that supports the former is said to support object identity.

Rp 22 Nov 2003

Shared Identity
Identity has a sense in which things share An Identiy, i.e. "black", or two " black and four footed", or more "black four footed and called 'puss' ". In another sense it's scope includes cultural and phyiological filters or precepts. It is cumulative, quantitative and qualitative, it accretes, like datae or quantae. This is proximately related to categories and "forms". Taken as such we can look on socrates idea of "joints" rather clearly. Thus the aforementioned "ambiguity" is really the ambiguity of "grey" in that it can be more grey or less, more ore less identical. It is a primitive term to some philosophical systems. An identity may subsume a name, names associate with other names, systems are built. Some of the 'identiy' concepts are found in group theory, in some things it is identical but it is different in others. Thus the concepts of Definition or 'naming' by shared and/or excluded traits.

An identity/name may refer to a braod category or small. As names are added the category narrows till an idividual is represented, that is a thing is represented which by it's exclusions can only represent one thing; holding, by convention, some terms as absent ( eg time, for an a individual man). comments please.wblakesx

Move
I moved the following paragraph from metaphysics to here (it was already discussed above as, well, at least questionable):

''Two objects can be called identical, meaning that they have the same shape, size and other properties. Thus, when we interchange the two objects, we do not see any difference. However, in terms of a stricter sense of identity, the initial and final situation are different. By observing not just the initial and final situation but the move itself, we can know this.''

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia - so in the paragraph "Metaphysics" in the article "Identity" it should describe, what identity means in metaphysics - and there, the above paragraph makes no sense. If two descriptions of objects share all properties - well, then that's it, it's the same object they refer two. --denny vrandečić 15:31, Sep 6, 2004 (UTC)

ID
What about the most common use of the word identity, as in one's identification or proof of identity?Pedant

 * see Identity document. But you're right, there should be a link - I added the link to the Identity disambiuation page. --denny vrandečić 11:47, Sep 7, 2004 (UTC)

So many identities!
In my hunt for an identity operator article, I discovered many pages relating to identity in its different contexts and meanings. Many of these pages have overlapping content, poor clarification what the word identity means in different fields, etc. Perhaps this is due to the ambiguety of the word itself, but I still feel that this could be cleaned up or better organized. Just some examples: identity, Identity (disambiguation), List of mathematical identities, Identity (mathematics), Identity element, Identity function, Identity Property of Addition. For instance, this page seems to focus on the philosophy meaning but it has sections on logic and computer programming which seems inappropriate. It seems there are two directions this page can go in: Personally, I'd be in favor of the second route, but give me some input.
 * Remove content about identity meanings unrelated to philosophy and allow the disambig page to sort those differences out.
 * Include other sections on alternate meanings of identity such as Mathematical identity (identity element and identity) with links to their respective main pages, much like the Operator article does.

 * I prefer the first idea; most of the page is about the philosophical concept of identity. I think it should be renamed Identity (Philosophy) to be consistent with other Identity pages. Bryan 17:25, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

 * OK, I did it. Bryan 18:01, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

 * The logical aspect of identity very much does belong to philosophy. Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, all working in philosophy of logic.

Calling All Philosophers
I've done what I could to clean up this page; it needs help, now, from someone who can integrate the material (see ). Bryan 18:01, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

Another possible merger?
How about merging this with Ship of Theseus itself? The two are quite similar.
 * I like having articles at places like the ship and the axe, although much of the discussion of the interpretation of those metaphors in the context of identity should be put into this article (and some should be removed from those). But the stories themselves, especially the ship, are as encyclopedic as many of Aesop's fables or [Plato's cave]]. Smmurphy(Talk) 07:31, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

The Ship of Theseus thought experiment is important in its own right and should not merge with this article.

I agree that the Ship of Theseus should not be merged with identity, altough it is a puzzle about identity it also a puzzle about material constitution and material coincidence. --RickardV 21:10, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

Qualitative versus numerical identity
This section looks somewhat spurious to me. I assume that what should be being talked about is duplicates sharing intrinsic properties, not qualitative properties? A proper philosopher needs to fix this section up. Ben Finn 20:18, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Merger with Law of identity
This was just a thought. I think both titles should direct to the same article (or possibly one of them to a section, etc.) Gregbard 06:44, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

 * One is mathematics and logic, the other is philosophy and psychology. -- Craigtalbert (talk) 23:05, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps this is too anal
But "Clark Kent = Superman" is not, to my mind, an expression of mathematics.

also, the "Charlie Brown = Satan" example seems like it ought to be removed... either that or I'm missing the point.. or am woefully behind on my popular culture?... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.236.169.226 (talk) 04:40, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

Identity = sameness?
In ordinary discourse, identity, sameness and equality are not at all the same (no pun intended).

Moreover, these terms have been run-together for far too long by logicians and philosophers, an issue raised here:

Saunders, S. (2006), 'Are Quantum Particles Objects?', Analysis 66, 1, pp.52-62

and in more detail at my site:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rosa.l/page%2006.htm

Rosa Lichtenstein (talk) 16:46, 12 September 2008 (UTC)

 * The concepts have different origin. However there is a law in philosophy that states that two things sharing every attribute are not only similar, but – by definition – are the same thing. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 10:51, 6 December 2010 (UTC)

Opening paragraph
Is surely VERY weak, and personal essay like.--Philogo (talk) 01:36, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

SHARNI —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.100.108.130 (talk) 18:24, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Lede restored
I removed the essaylike wall of text that was added before the lede. Please _DO NOT_ restore this text as it was; we can discuss here on this article talk page what, if anything should be incorporated to the article, but the lede must be a brief, accessible precis of the article contents. Moreover, the tone of the text removed was, to my mind (and I'm willing to be convinced otherwise) not appropriate for an encyclopedia article. BrideOfKripkenstein (talk) 19:41, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Well done, you have just removed text that provided any means of understanding what the article is about, and restored it (the article) effectively to a set of meaningless cited quotes! Philosophy doesn't fit well into WP policy, which, it seems, disallows interpretation, discussion of ambiguities, or giving illustrative examples! When you take all that out of a philosophy article, what are you left with? A series of small cited quotes which mean absolutely nothing! Surely, a good lede should explain what the article is about, and why we should care? Still, you know best!! For the present, I will restore the removed text below (where it will no doubt be overlooked). Stho002 (talk) 21:19, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

This is what the article is about and why you should care:

In philosophy, identity usually refers to the idea that a person or object can change over time in many ways, but still remain, in some meaningful sense, the same person or object, despite the changes. This is the idea of numerical identity over time, not to be confused with qualitative identity, which is exact similarity. A person is born as a small baby, grows up, grows old, and finally dies. The person that dies bears little similarity to the baby, so, in what sense is it "the same person"? That is the challenge for the philosopher to explain, in the case of personal identity over time. The identity of inanimate objects over time also presents certain philosophical problems, but the case of personal identity over time is the most important and challenging, for obvious reasons. 🇦🇹 (1985) discussed an interesting nonhuman case. An amoeba reproduces by symmetrical binary fission. There are now two amoebae where previously there was one ... so what has happened to the parent amoeba? Has it "died"? Does it still exist? Is it identical with one or both of the daughter amoebae? 🇦🇹's solution is a controversial one, invoking "multiple occupancy", whereby, basically, there were two amoebae all along, fully coincident until they diverged by the fission process! Issues of identity over time, and particularly issues of personal identity over time, are linked to the theory of materialism, in the sense that the possible solutions to the identity question differ between materialist and nonmaterialist theories. Personal identity over time is also linked to four-dimensionalism, a metaphysical theory of time. An interesting question is whether personal identity over time on a materialist view implies that the orthodox view of what human beings think they are is significantly unrealistic, particularly with regard to the generally high level of importance that we give to our lives, ultimate death, and the ethics by which we live. In the book Reasons and Persons, 🇦🇹 (1984) famously proposed just such a view. Materialist theories of personal identity over time all have the counterintuitive consequence that there isn't a fully robust difference between my life vs. someone else's life, my death vs. someone else's death, my suffering vs. someone else's suffering, etc. Events could happen, in principle, which render it indeterminate whether a death is your death, or someone else's. For example, if a teletransporter machine was invented which took you apart, atom by atom, and beamed the information to Mars, where local atoms were assembled according to that information to create a person physically and psychologically identical to you when you stepped into the teletransporter back on Earth, and then that person was murdered, is it you who has been murdered? Should you worry about what happens to you after teletransportation, or is it not your problem? Why is it any more your problem if it happens without you first being teletransported? By contrast, the nonmaterialist can claim that it is a fundamental fact, for any real or imaginary circumstance, whether you continue to exist or not. While this idea may seem intuitively correct, the problem is that it does not appear to be possible to prove the existence of any such "fundamental fact", scientifically or even just rationally. Because of this limitation, nonmaterialism is a "dead end", both scientifically and philosophically. Analytic philosophers can only explore the consequences of various materialist theories. They do not necessarily either believe or disbelieve the materialist theories that they so explore, though there can be a very fine line between believing a theory as opposed to merely "running with it". These are some of issues at stake in the philosophy of identity.

In principle, the hypothetical teletransporter, as described above, could simultaneously beam two (or more!) copies of your information to different places, and assemble two people, both with equal claim to be you! This is analogous to the amoeba fission example (above). This presents the nonmaterialist with rather a problem, and they can only deny that such a circumstance is in any way possible, perhaps because teletransportation, of necessity, kills the original person. But it presents the materialist with no such problems, except only in deciding which alternative (materialist) theory of personal identity is the best theory to go with, theory choice being independent of any further fundamental (="robust") facts about the case. The materialist already knows all the relevant facts, we can imagine, and must merely select the best (or, at least "a good") way to express those facts in terms of personal identity. This is what philosophers of identity do. The "multiple occupancy" theory of 🇦🇹 (1985), as described above for amoebae undergoing fission, could easily be extended to this case, and thus represents one materialist option, though not necessarily "the best option" (whatever that really means?) It is unclear if what philosophers of identity do is merely an "academic" exercise, or whether it could have any useful practical applications. 🇦🇹 (2009) has attempted to link philosophy of personal identity with tax policy! 🇦🇹 (1984) had argued, in effect, that it is just as unethical to start smoking oneself, as it is to encourage someone else to start. In either case, one is putting at risk the future health of the smoker, and just because, in one case, that smoker is "your future self" doesn't make any sort of fundamental difference to the facts.

As an alternative to the "multiple occupancy" theory of 🇦🇹 (1985), 🇦🇹 (1998) proposed "occasional identity". 🇦🇹 (1985) seems to have tacitly assumed that if you allow both daughter amoebae to have existed before fission (see below), then there must have been two (coincident but distinct) amoebae in existence before fission. 🇦🇹 (1998) rejected this in favour of saying that there was only one amoeba before fission, but that both daughter amoebae were identical (to it and to each other) then, but not now. It is important to reiterate that both 🇦🇹 and 🇦🇹 are materialists, who don't disagree on any of the physical facts of the case, as might be given to them by a scientist who has studied the fission of amoebae. It is merely a case of which is the "better theory". 🇦🇹 & 🇦🇹 (2004) defend the view that personal identity over time is a matter of convention, but again they are materialists trying to defend what they consider to be a "better theory". 🇦🇹 (2001) suggests that "occasional identity" may conflict to some extent with preferred materialist theories of time. At any rate, it is likely that the adoption of any practical applications from personal identity theory will forever be hampered by lingering doubts over the truth of materialism, upon which everything depends. Just as it is impossible to prove that facts about personal identity are fundamental (i.e., disprove materialism), it is equally impossible to prove materialism (with absolute certainty). This would be the only risk associated with stepping into a teletransporter. If materialism is true, then no problem. If materialism is false, then the consequences of teletransportation on humans are unknown and therefore possibly seriously unpleasant. On the whole, materialists tend to be scientists, academics, and/or "materialists" in the colloquial sense, whereas nonmaterialists tend to be more "spiritually" inclined people, who place greater value on such things as emotions, love, and free will. The biggest challenge facing the materialist is to explain the phenomenon of qualia in purely physical terms. The usual response is for them to simply assume that qualia can be explained in purely physical terms somehow. In fact, qualia are the only real stumbling block for materialism. In a world without qualia, there would still be no absolute proof of materialism, but there would also be no reason or motivation to doubt materialism. Materialism would be the natural default assumption. Furthermore, the abstract possibility of nonmaterialism without qualia would be in no significant way different to materialism (by way of a very rough analogy, it would be like a world with banks but no money ... possible, but utterly pointless!)

Just by way of clarification, the only reason why 🇦🇹 (1985) needed to allow both daughter amoebae to have existed before fission, was to prevent having to say that any amoeba had ceased to exist (i.e. "died") because of the fission, so, basically, nothing died because the same two amoebae are present both before and after the fission event.
 * I agree with BrideOfKripkenstein that the lede must be a brief, accessible precis of the article contents, and that the "expanded lede" did not comply with that. If there are RSs for the additional material, then it belongs in the body of the text, not the lede. If necessary the lede would then by changed to remain an accessible precis. No edit wars PLEASE they are very boring and rarely improve articles. In case of dissent argue the case on the talk page. One additional request: would STHo002 please sign his comments — Philogos (talk)  21:19, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * 'Brief, accessible precis of the article contents' is not possible for metaphysics! Stho002 (talk) 21:21, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * That is just an assertion: we expect arguments on this page (that is you must give reasons for what you say - if you expect them to be taken seriously.— Philogos (talk) 21:26, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * How am I supposed to demonstrate that 'Brief, accessible precis of the article contents' are not possible for metaphysics (though by philosophy standards, my lede was brief and accessible!)? Well, I can only try. Just read what I wrote in the removed lede, and then read the article without it. Which version gives you a better understanding of the issues? Besides, the article is about identity (philosophy), which is related to the concept of identity (mathematics), but the article as written places too much emphasis on the trivial aspects of the latter (gee, every object is identical with itself ... that's useful to know!) Stho002 (talk) 21:42, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Sorry I do not see how the assertion Brief, accessible precis of the article contents are not possible for metaphysics follows on the assumption that the article gives a better understanding of the issues with your lede than it does with no lede at all. Be that as it may, if you have reliable sources for the material you beleive would improve the article, then why not introduce a new paragraph or two and put it in there.  The lede can be adjusted subsequently as need be.— Philogos (talk)  22:14, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * my "assertion" isn't supposed to follow from that "assumption". The "assumption" is supposed to illustrate that the article as written doesn't give the reader much of an idea what 'identity' in philosophy is all about. No, I do not have reliable sources for the explanation and illustration of points made in reliable sources! Your thinking is circular. We start with the information in a reliable source, and try to explain what it means, using examples (i.e, interpret the source). Philosophy isn't about simple facts, but about complex ideas. I repeat that the article as written is useless and pointless, because it doesn't explain (using examples) what the information is supposed to mean. No wonder students get told not to use Wikipedia! Fast track to fail ... You clearly have already learned some philosophy, so you already know to some extent what the article is supposed to be about, but imagine how the article seems to someone who doesn't already know what it is about ... Stho002 (talk) 23:47, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Furthermore, interpreting, explaining and giving examples doesn't necessarily conflict with NOR or NPOV, and does not itself require citation of sources further to the ones one is trying to explain and interpret ... Stho002 (talk) 00:06, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * I'd just like to point our for Stho002 that the article Personal identity (philosophy) exists and may already be more like what he wants to make this article. Perhaps there should be a discussion about the continuing coexistence (or possible merger) of those two articles, what their respective domains are, and how to make that clear on each article, sending people to the other quickly if they've stumbled into the wrong place by accident? --Pfhorrest (talk) 02:37, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * thanks, I hadn't noticed that article. It doesn't really solve anything though, if anything, it just adds to the problem! That article also needs a darn good shakeup. The problem is that WP is structured in such a way as to keep separate different facets of the same issue, which doesn't really work for philosophy stuff like this. The issues of personal identity over time, identity of objects over time, identity as a general abstract concept, qualia and philosophy of mind, ethics, materialism, Cogito ergo sum, four-dimensionalism, etc. are all deeply interwoven, and you can't really write a separate article on each one without at the very least having a lede on each article that explains how it fits in with the others ... what to do? Stho002 (talk) 02:58, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * The solution is to write about each subject focusing on that one aspect of the whole-general-sort-of-mish-mash predominantly, and writing about related subjects as necessary, but no more. --Pfhorrest (talk) 07:42, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * The solution is either an unrealistic goal, or it is only realistic to the extent that I was doing that. But in something as esoteric as metaphysics, there is no simple solution, so surely the main thing is whether the article actually manages to explain something, for otherwise it is a waste of space and time. Stho002 (talk) 07:46, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Stho002, Please see LEDE. Your text did none of those things, I'm afraid. BrideOfKripkenstein (talk) 00:11, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Well, then I must be on a completely different planet to you, my friend, because on my planet the current lede does none of those things, and gives the reader absolutely no idea what the concept of identity is philosophy is about, nor what the key issues are. Wikipedia: "so much knowledge, so little sense ..." Stho002 (talk) 00:38, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

 * Stho002 if you have reliable sources for the material you beleive would improve the article, then why not introduce a new paragraph or two and put it in there. The lede can be adjusted subsequently as need be. Your fellow editors will then be able to evaluate an edit the new material. Please try and  and speak with the quiet voice of reason:  you will not get far with rhetoric for a philosophy page! -  — Philogos (talk)  00:35, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * now I really get frustrated when I reply to someone's comment and they respond by making the very same comment! What I believe will improve the article does not need citations to "reliable sources". What I believe will improve the article is interpreted explanation and illustration (by way of examples) of what the existing sources are saying. Putting the stuff in proper context, not making small out of context uninterpreted quotes from sources, which is what the article currently does. This need not be seen as a contravention of NOR or NPOV, properly construed, and the alternative is bad articles like this article currently is. Philosophy (particularly metaphysics) is a very different beast to science, history, etc., and if you don't explain/interpret/illustrate then there is no meaning ... Stho002 (talk) 00:45, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Stho002 Calm down! Remember quiet voice of reason. Now I asked a question which you have not answered. Read it carefully and try again. Here it is again: if you have reliable sources for the material you believe would improve the article, then why not introduce a new paragraph or two and put it in there?  The other editors objection- at this stage - is not to your material but where you have put it, i.e. in the lede.  The requiremtns for a lede (introductory text thereof)  are distinct.  BrideOfKripkenstein directed you to the requirements. Have you read them?  The other editors will just keep reverting you if you do not respect them.  What a waste of time.  Read this, then see if you can be a good fellow and answer my question.

 * Introductory text. As explained in more detail at Wikipedia:Lead section#Introductory text, all but the shortest articles should start with introductory text (the "lead"). The lead should establish significance, include mention of notable criticism or controversies, and be written in a way that makes readers want to know more. The appropriate length of the lead depends on that of the article, but should be no more than four paragraphs. The lead itself has no heading and, on pages with more than three headings, automatically appears above the table of contents, if present.

— Philogos (talk) 00:58, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

 * Actually, I am calm ... you should see me when I get angry, the expanding green pectorals busting the buttons of my shirt off, etc.!! My frustration here is because you are telling me that I am missing the point, when I believe it is you who are missing the point (or maybe we both are?) I could not agree more that 'the lead should establish significance, include mention of notable criticism or controversies, and be written in a way that makes readers want to know more'. Absolutely! Spot on! My very point from the beginning! The current lead/lede does none of these things. Mine did. What else can I say??? Stho002 (talk) 01:08, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * You can answer my question: if you have reliable sources for the material you believe would improve the article, then why not introduce a new paragraph or two and put it in there? — Philogos (talk) 01:27, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Because: what I already wrote as a lead/lede establishes significance, include mention of notable criticisms and controversies, and is written in a way that makes readers want to know more, whereas the current lead/lede does not ... Stho002 (talk) 01:35, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Well no other editor agrees with you, so it looks like if you don't want the material anywhere than in the lede then it won't appear at all.— Philogos (talk) 01:41, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Well the other editors are demonstrably wrong! The current lead/lede reads:

'In philosophy, identity, from Latin: identitas (“sameness”), is the exact sameness of things. According to Leibniz's law two things sharing every attribute are not only similar, but are the same thing. The concept of sameness has given rise to the general concept of identity, as in personal identity and social identity.

An entity can only be fully identical with itself. Any difference gives rise to a separate identity. Thus identity is whatever makes an entity definable and recognizable, in terms of possessing a set of qualities or characteristics that distinguish it from other entities.[1][2] In layman's terms, identity is whatever makes something the same or different'

Fantastic, so this article is all about the fact that a person or object is identical with itself and nothing else, or at best about what makes a person or object identical to itself. Either way, sounds like a riveting read! Stho002 (talk) 01:45, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * the discussion has been about your edit, not the current lede. If you have comments on the current lede start a new para and put them there— Philogos (talk)  01:47, 14 June 2011 (UTC)

The current lede
Hey everybody, has anybody noticed that the current lede fails rather miserably to 'establish significance, include mention of notable criticism or controversies, and be written in a way that makes readers want to know more'? Any suggestions about what can be done to remedy this?? Stho002 (talk) 01:52, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * particularly in view of the fact that this article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale! Cough...!

Stho002 (talk) 02:33, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
 * I don’t think the lead is that bad, let’s look at what a lead should do according to LEDE. Leads should: define the topic, establish context, explain why the subject is interesting or notable, and summarize the most important points.  I feel the lead both defines the topic and establishes context pretty well.  It could be expanded a bit to summarize the most important points and further explain why the subject is interesting.  I do not feel your suggested lede is an improvement though.  There is a huge different between summarizing key points and writing a vast essay on the topic - A lede isn’t the place for an essay.  JonPF (talk) 21:23, 22 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Agree with that. Suggest lede should only mention points of interest that are outlined in the article body, or at least other linked articles. — Philogos (talk)  23:36, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

"Just in case"
On behalf of the general audience, I have replaced the misleading and confusing expression "just in case", with its correct, and easily understood equivalent, "if, and only if" (also, in more technical writing, "if and only if"). The following explains the error:
 * Language Log: "Just in Case"
 * Southern California Philosophy for philosophy graduate students: "Just in Case".Dr Lindsay B Yeates (talk) 21:19, 9 April 2014 (UTC)

 * I don't object to the change as the phrases are equivalent and either will serve equally well, but it's a bit much to call use of "just in case" an error. The phrase is an abbreviation either way it's used and both makes perfect sense given its context: "I'll take an umbrella just (i.e. only) [to be prepared] in [the] case [that] it rains", and "A man is a bachelor just (i.e. only) in [the] case [that] he is unmarried" both make perfect sense and are both sensibly abbreviated to "just in case". Fuss about the latter sense is much ado about nothing, and if anything, the former is a less literal reading as more assumed information needs to be read into it to arrive at that sense. --Pfhorrest (talk) 00:02, 10 April 2014 (UTC)

title: Talk:Identity (philosophy)


text:
Talk:Killings and massacres during the 1948 Palestine war

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Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 5 April 2018
Change 'Kfar Etzion massacre where around 120-150 defenders' to 'Kfar Etzion massacre where around 120-150 residents,' the specifics are debated but multiple sources have confirmed people who were hiding weaponless or had surrendered were murdered. 68.34.29.140 (talk) 20:58, 5 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. L293D (☎ • ✎) 22:02, 6 April 2018 (UTC)

Morris estimation of casualties
In his book, Morris says the Palestinians suffered "slightly higher, or much higher," than the Israeli losses. The current text leaves out the last three words. Mcdruid (talk) 08:53, 30 April 2020 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 30 April 2020
In the line about how many Arabs died, Benny Morris is stated as claiming "The number of victims on the Arab side is unclear, but according to Benny Morris, it might have been slightly higher." In the actual book, Morris says: "Palestinian losses, in civilians and armed irregulars, are unclear: they may have been slightly higher, or much higher, than the Israeli losses. (Morris 2008, pg. 528). Total Arab losses is higher: he goes on to mention "Egyptian losses, according to an official Egyptian announcement made in June 1950, amounted to some fourteen hundred dead and 3,731 "permanently invalided."27 The Jordanian, Iraqi, and Syrian armies each suffered several hundred dead, and the Lebanese suffered several dozen killed." Mcdruid (talk) 09:00, 30 April 2020 (UTC)
 * I checked the source and you are correct so I added the extra words. Zerotalk 12:36, 30 April 2020 (UTC)

Why "killings and"?
Why does it need "killings and"? The smallest is 6 deaths, the definition is often 3 or more. MWQs (talk) 23:55, 14 June 2024 (UTC)

Gelber's Quote
The quotes attributed to Gelber do not appear on his referenced article, please delete — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlfredB123 (talk • contribs) 03:34, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Several works of Gelber are cited. Please indicate which quotes you are referring to. Zerotalk 05:01, 24 June 2024 (UTC)