Full Idea
The view I now favour says that the causal features of a property, both forward-looking and backward-looking, are essential to it. And it says that properties having the same causal features are identical.
Clarification
'Forward' is what it does, 'backward' is how it became instantiated
Gist of Idea
A property's causal features are essential, and only they fix its identity
Source
Sydney Shoemaker (Causal and Metaphysical Necessity [1998], III)
Book Reference
Shoemaker,Sydney: 'Identity, Cause and Mind' [OUP 2003], p.413
A Reaction
In this formulation we have essentialism about properties, as well as essentialism about the things which have the properties.
Related Idea
Idea 12733 Because of the definitions of cause, effect and power, cause and effect have the same power [Leibniz]