more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
An entity's essence is just what that entity is, revealed by its real definition. This isn't a distinct entity, but either the entity itself, or (my view) no entity at all. ..We should not reify essence, as that leads to an infinite regress of essences.
Gist of Idea
An essence is what an entity is, revealed by a real definition; this is not an entity in its own right
Source
E.J. Lowe (What is the Source of Knowledge of Modal Truths? [2013], 6)
Book Ref
-: 'Mind' [-], p.23
A Reaction
The regress problem is a real one, if we wish to treat an essence as some proper and distinct part of an entity. If it is a mechanism, for example, the presumably a mechanism has an essence. No, it doesn't! Levels of explanation!
Related Idea
Idea 16551 Grasping an essence is just grasping a real definition [Lowe]
| 11389 | Socrates sought essences, which are the basis of formal logic [Socrates, by Aristotle] |
| 12080 | Essence is not all the necessary properties, since these extend beyond the definition [Aristotle, by Witt] |
| 11153 | A definition is an account of a what-it-was-to-be-that-thing [Aristotle] |
| 12382 | What it is and why it is are the same; screening defines and explains an eclipse [Aristotle] |
| 12285 | The definition is peculiar to one thing, not common to many [Aristotle] |
| 16797 | Maybe Locke described the real essence of a person [Locke, by Pasnau] |
| 11216 | If definitions aim at different ideals, then defining essence is not a unitary activity [Gupta] |
| 11171 | Defining a term and giving the essence of an object don't just resemble - they are the same [Fine,K] |
| 11178 | The essence or definition of an essence involves either a class of properties or a class of propositions [Fine,K] |
| 16539 | A definition of a circle will show what it is, and show its generating principle [Lowe] |
| 16540 | Defining an ellipse by conic sections reveals necessities, but not the essence of an ellipse [Lowe] |
| 16548 | An essence is what an entity is, revealed by a real definition; this is not an entity in its own right [Lowe] |
| 19291 | A canonical defintion specifies the type of thing, and what distinguish this specimen [Hale] |
| 15116 | Essences cause necessary features, and definitions describe those necessary features [Koslicki] |