more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
In the case of artefacts, there is an essentialism about original matter; for instance, it would be said of any particular bronze statue that it could not have been cast from a totally different quantity of bronze.
Gist of Idea
One might be essentialist about the original bronze from which a statue was made
Source
Graeme Forbes (In Defense of Absolute Essentialism [1986], 3)
Book Ref
'Midwest Studs XI:Essentialism', ed/tr. French,Uehling,Wettstein [Minnesota 1986], p.10
A Reaction
Forbes isn't endorsing this, and it doesn't sound convincing. He quotes the thought 'I wish I had made this pot from a different piece of clay'. We might corrupt a statue by switching bronze, but I don't think the sculptor could do so.
| 16508 | Things are more unified if the unity comes from their own nature, not from external force [Aristotle] |
| 16117 | The hallmark of an artefact is that its active source of maintenance is external [Aristotle, by Gill,ML] |
| 12540 | Artificial things like watches and pistols have distinct kinds [Locke] |
| 12177 | Human artefacts may have essences, in their purposes [Popper] |
| 16514 | Artefacts are individuated by some matter having a certain function [Wiggins] |
| 17575 | The persistence of artifacts always covertly involves intelligent beings [Inwagen] |
| 13809 | One might be essentialist about the original bronze from which a statue was made [Forbes,G] |
| 12022 | Same parts does not ensure same artefact, if those parts could constitute a different artefact [Forbes,G] |
| 12025 | Artefacts have fuzzy essences [Forbes,G] |
| 14295 | Many artefacts have dispositional essences, which make them what they are [Mumford] |
| 12873 | Original parts are the best candidates for being essential to artefacts [Simons] |