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Single Idea 12018

[filed under theme 9. Objects / E. Objects over Time / 12. Origin as Essential ]

Full Idea

If we generalise what Kripke says about the Queen, then he is arguing that the parents of any organism are essentially the parents of that organism.

Gist of Idea

Kripke argues, of the Queen, that parents of an organism are essentially so

Source

report of Saul A. Kripke (Naming and Necessity lectures [1970]) by Graeme Forbes - The Metaphysics of Modality 6.1

Book Ref

Forbes,Graeme: 'The Metaphysics of Modality' [OUP 1985], p.133


A Reaction

It strikes me that we have to be extremely careful in specifying what it is that Kripke is saying. I take it that either Kripke is saying something rather uninteresting, or he is saying what Forbes suggests. Parenthood is essential, not just necessary.


The 21 ideas with the same theme [origin of an object is part of what is essential to it]:

How a thing is generated does not explain its essence [Aristotle, by Politis]
Aristotle wants definition, not identity, so origin is not essential to him [Aristotle, by Witt]
If two things are the same, they must have the same source and origin [Aristotle]
If we lose track of origin, how do we show we are maintaining a reference? [Kripke, by Wiggins]
Kripke argues, of the Queen, that parents of an organism are essentially so [Kripke, by Forbes,G]
Could the actual Queen have been born of different parents? [Kripke]
Socrates can't have a necessary origin, because he might have had no 'origin' [Lowe on Kripke]
Interrupted objects have two first moments of existence, which could be two beginnings [Brody]
A particular statue has sortal persistence conditions, so its origin defines it [Gibbard]
I can ask questions which create a context in which origin ceases to be essential [Lewis]
Essential properties of origin are too radically individual for an Aristotelian essence [Witt]
McGinn falsely claims necessity of origin is a special case of the necessity of identity [Forbes,G on McGinn]
An individual might change their sex in a world, but couldn't have differed in sex at origin [Forbes,G]
If Socrates lacks necessary existence, then his nature cannot require his parents' existence [Fine,K]
Necessity-of-origin won't distinguish ex nihilo creations, or things sharing an origin [Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
Peope favor historical paths over outward properties when determining what something is [Gelman]
The zygote is an essential initial part, for a sexually reproduced organism [Simons]
In twinning, one person has the same origin as another person [Merricks]
Origin is not a necessity, it is just 'tenacious'; we keep it fixed in counterfactual discussions [Mackie,P]
Why does origin matter more than development; why are some features of origin more important? [Vetter]
We take origin to be necessary because we see possibilities as branches from actuality [Vetter]