Single Idea 8555

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

Full Idea

There is, putting aside historical properties and 'identity properties', no subset of the properties of a thing which constitutes an individual essence, so that having those properties is necessary and sufficient for being that particular thing.

Gist of Idea

There is no subset of properties which guarantee a thing's identity

Source

Sydney Shoemaker (Causality and Properties [1980], §05)

Book Reference

Shoemaker,Sydney: 'Identity, Cause and Mind' [OUP 2003], p.218


A Reaction

He asserts this rather dogmatically. If he says a thing can lose its essence, I agree, but it seems to me that there must be a group of features which will guarantee that (if they are present) it has that identity.