Existence and many-one identity

Cendorses the doctrine of Composition as Identity, which holds that a composite object is (plurally) identical to its many parts, and entails that one object can be (plurally) identical to several others. In this dialogue, N argues that many-one identity, and thus composition as identity, is conceptually confused. In particular, N claims it violates two conceptual truths: that existence facts fix identity facts, and that identity is no addition to being. In response to pressure from C, N considers several candidate interpretations of the first slogan. Each interpretation imagines God issuing a divine existential decree that counts as 'fixing the existence facts', and then considers what questions about identity are left open by it. N eventually hits on an appealing interpretation of the slogan that C can neither undermine nor accommodate, and uses it to interpret the second slogan as well.