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Single Idea 16547

[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / e. Anti scientific essentialism ]

Full Idea

It is not metaphysically necessary that water is composed of H2O molecules, because the natural laws governing the chemical behaviour of hydrogen and oxygen atoms could have been significantly different, so they might not have composed that substance.

Gist of Idea

H2O isn't necessary, because different laws of nature might affect how O and H combine

Source

E.J. Lowe (What is the Source of Knowledge of Modal Truths? [2013], 6)

Book Ref

-: 'Mind' [-], p.23

A Reaction

I fear this may be incoherent, as science. See Bird on why salt must dissolve in water. There can't (I suspect) be a law which keeps O and H the same, and yet makes them combine differently.

The 17 ideas with the same theme [objections to essences in scientific investigation]:

13296 The cosmos has two elements - passive matter, and active cause (or reason) which shapes it [Stoic school, by Seneca]
13150 The motions of the planets could only derive from an intelligent agent [Newton]
12178 That gravity should be innate and essential to matter is absurd [Newton]
6734 If properties and qualities arise from an inward essence, we will remain ignorant of nature [Berkeley]
12110 We can never know origins, purposes or inner natures [Comte]
10246 The limit of science is isomorphism of theories, with essences a matter of indifference [Weyl]
10931 We can't say 'necessarily if x is in water then x dissolves' if we can't quantify modally [Quine]
17862 Essence gives an illusion of understanding [Quine, by Almog]
12179 Essentialist views of science prevent further questions from being raised [Popper]
5492 How can essences generate the right powers to vary with distance between objects? [Armstrong]
16547 H2O isn't necessary, because different laws of nature might affect how O and H combine [Lowe]
12243 The reductionism found in scientific essentialism is mistaken [Oderberg]
4799 Dispositional essentialism can't explain its key distinction between essential and non-essential properties [Psillos]
15178 Can anything in science reveal the necessity of what it discovers? [Sidelle]
15706 A major objection to real essences is the essentialising of social categories like race, caste and occupation [Gelman]
17864 Defining an essence comes no where near giving a thing's nature [Almog]
17863 Essences promise to reveal reality, but actually drive us away from it [Almog]