Single Idea 10929

[catalogued under 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism]

Full Idea

The Aristotelian notion of essence was the forerunner of the modern notion of intension or meaning. ...Meaning is what essence becomes when it is divorced from the object of reference and wedded to the word.

Gist of Idea

Aristotelian essence of the object has become the modern essence of meaning

Source

Willard Quine (Two Dogmas of Empiricism [1953], §1)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'From a Logical Point of View' [Harper and Row 1963], p.22


A Reaction

Quine first wants to jettison de re necessity (essence of the object), by shifting it to de dicto necessity (necessity in meaning), but he subsequently rejects that as well, presumably because he doesn't even believe in meanings.