Single Idea 12082

[catalogued under 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 6. Essence as Unifier]

Full Idea

By holding that the most unified beings have essences in an unqualified sense, while allowing that other beings have them in a qualified sense - we can think of unity as a matter of degree.

Gist of Idea

If unity is a matter of degree, then essence may also be a matter of degree

Source

Charlotte Witt (Substance and Essence in Aristotle [1989], 4.3)

Book Reference

Witt,Charlotte: 'Substance and Essence in Aristotle' [Cornell 1994], p.121


A Reaction

This is Witt's somewhat unorthodox view of how we should read Aristotle. I am sympathetic, if essences are really explanatory. That means they are unstable, and would indeed be likely to come in degrees.