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Single Idea 11854
[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / a. Scientific essentialism
]
Full Idea
If the law of God does indeed leave some vestige of him expressed in things...then it must be granted that there is a certain efficacy residing in things, a form or force such as we usually designate by the name of nature, from which the phenomena follow.
Gist of Idea
If there is some trace of God in things, that would explain their natural force
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (On Nature Itself (De Ipsa Natura) [1698], §06)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Philosophical Essays', ed/tr. Arlew,R /Garber,D [Hackett 1989], p.158
A Reaction
I wouldn't rate this as a very promising theory of powers, but it seems to me important that Leibniz recognises the innate power in things as needing explanation. If you remove divine power, you are left with unexplained intrinsic powers.
The
37 ideas
with the same theme
[basics of essence as foundation of the laws]:
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14049
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We aim to know the natures which are observed in natural phenomena
[Epicurus]
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12118
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Essences are part of first philosophy, but as part of nature, not part of logic
[Bacon]
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12550
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If we knew the minute mechanics of hemlock, we could predict that it kills men
[Locke]
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11854
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If there is some trace of God in things, that would explain their natural force
[Leibniz]
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11856
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Qualities should be predictable from the nature of the subject
[Leibniz]
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12994
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Gold has a real essence, unknown to us, which produces its properties
[Leibniz]
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12808
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Part of our idea of gold is its real essence, which is not known to us in detail
[Leibniz]
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8931
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The movement of pure essences constitutes the nature of scientific method
[Hegel]
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9363
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Science seeks classification which will discover laws, essences, and predictions
[Lewis,CI]
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12307
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Modern science seeks essences, and is getting closer to them
[Copi]
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11189
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Dispositional essences are special, as if an object loses them they cease to exist
[Marcus (Barcan)]
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12175
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Galilean science aimed at true essences, as the ultimate explanations
[Popper]
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11192
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If causes are the essence of diseases, then disease is an example of a relational essence
[Putnam, by Williams,NE]
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11190
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Archimedes meant by 'gold' the hidden structure or essence of the stuff
[Putnam]
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6615
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A species requires a genus, and its essence includes the essence of the genus
[Ellis]
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5459
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Essentialists say dispositions are basic, rather than supervenient on matter and natural laws
[Ellis]
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5461
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The essence of uranium is its atomic number and its electron shell
[Ellis]
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13566
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A proton must have its causal role, because without it it wouldn't be a proton
[Ellis]
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13579
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What is most distinctive of scientific essentialism is regarding processes as natural kinds
[Ellis]
|
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13581
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Scientific essentialism is more concerned with explanation than with identity (Locke, not Kripke)
[Ellis]
|
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13594
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The ontological fundamentals are dispositions, and also categorical (spatio-temporal and structural) properties
[Ellis]
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15951
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Alchemists tried to separate out essences, which influenced later chemistry
[Alexander,P]
|
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12085
|
Reality is directional
[Witt]
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11959
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Science works when we assume natural kinds have essences - because it is true
[Molnar]
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9448
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Location in space and time are non-power properties
[Molnar, by Mumford]
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11930
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One essential property of a muon doesn't entail the others
[Molnar]
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9215
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Causation is easier to disrupt than logic, so metaphysics is part of nature, not vice versa
[Fine,K]
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10411
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Two properties can have one power, and one property can have two powers
[Swoyer]
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12239
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The real essentialist is not merely a scientist
[Oderberg]
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15702
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Essentialism doesn't mean we know the essences
[Gelman]
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15705
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Essentialism encourages us to think about the world scientifically
[Gelman]
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17479
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The nature of an element must survive chemical change, so it is the nucleus, not the electrons
[Hendry]
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17485
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Maybe water is the smallest part of it that still counts as water (which is H2O molecules)
[Hendry]
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17484
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Maybe the nature of water is macroscopic, and not in the microstructure
[Hendry]
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17396
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The colour of gold is best explained by relativistic effects due to fast-moving inner-shell electrons
[Scerri]
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16760
|
Substantial forms were a step towards scientific essentialism
[Pasnau]
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16976
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Scientific essentialists tend to characterise essence in terms of modality (not vice versa)
[Tahko]
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