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Full Idea
The conception of essence taken for granted in much of the 'scientific essentialist' literature is that essence can be explained in terms of modality (rather than the other way round).
Gist of Idea
Scientific essentialists tend to characterise essence in terms of modality (not vice versa)
Source
Tuomas E. Tahko (The Epistemology of Essence (draft) [2013], 2.1)
A Reaction
[He cites Ellis and Bird] That is, presumably, that they are inclined to say that the essence of gold is a set of necessary properties. Maybe conceptual necessities dictate the properties of gold, and they in turn dictate metaphysical necessities?
Related Idea
Idea 16977 If essence is modal and laws are necessary, essentialist knowledge is found by scientists [Tahko]
| 16975 | Essences are used to explain natural kinds, modality, and causal powers [Tahko] |
| 16976 | Scientific essentialists tend to characterise essence in terms of modality (not vice versa) [Tahko] |
| 16977 | If essence is modal and laws are necessary, essentialist knowledge is found by scientists [Tahko] |
| 16978 | If conceivability is a priori coherence, that implies possibility [Tahko] |