Single Idea 11856

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / a. Scientific essentialism]

Full Idea

Whenever we find some quality in a subject, we ought to believe that if we understood the nature of both the subject and the quality we would conceive how the quality could arise from it.

Gist of Idea

Qualities should be predictable from the nature of the subject

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], Pref 66)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.66


A Reaction

This is the idea that powers are prior to properties, which seems right to me. I take essence to be something like the best explanation of qualities.