more from this thinker
|
more from this text
Single Idea 17370
[filed under theme 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 10. Essence as Species
]
Full Idea
An intrinsic essence does not have to be 'neat and tidy'. ...Essentialism can accept the gradual change of one thing into another.
Gist of Idea
Things that gradually change, like species, can still have essences
Source
Michael Devitt (Resurrecting Biological Essentialism [2008], 11)
Book Ref
Devitt,Michael: 'Putting Metaphysics First' [OUP 2010], p.248
A Reaction
My thesis is that essentialism is a response to the needs of explanation, so as long as there is some core explanation to be found, even in something transitory, then the concept of an essence can apply to it.
The
18 ideas
with the same theme
[essence for animals is the species they belong to]:
16106
|
Generalities like man and horse are not substances, but universal composites of account and matter
[Aristotle]
|
16144
|
Genera are not substances, and do not exist apart from the ingredient species
[Aristotle]
|
12359
|
'Categories' answers 'what?' with species, genus, differerentia; 'Met.' Z.17 seeks causal essence
[Aristotle, by Wedin]
|
12068
|
Standardly, Aristotelian essences are taken to be universals of the species
[Aristotle, by Witt]
|
16141
|
In 'Met.' he says genera can't be substances or qualities, so aren't in the ontology
[Aristotle, by Frede,M]
|
16149
|
Generic terms like 'man' are not substances, but qualities, relations, modes or some such thing
[Aristotle]
|
13434
|
In our ideas, the idea of essence is inseparable from the concept of a species
[Locke]
|
16035
|
If we based species on real essences, the individuals would be as indistinguishable as two circles
[Locke]
|
16036
|
Internal constitution doesn't decide a species; should a watch contain four wheels or five?
[Locke]
|
12987
|
For some sorts, a member of it is necessarily a member
[Leibniz]
|
12906
|
Truths about species are eternal or necessary, but individual truths concern what exists
[Leibniz]
|
16955
|
Kripke says internal structure fixes species; I say it is genetic affinity and a common descent
[Kripke, by Dummett]
|
16996
|
Given that Nixon is indeed a human being, that he might not have been does not concern knowledge
[Kripke]
|
17370
|
Things that gradually change, like species, can still have essences
[Devitt]
|
17368
|
Essentialism concerns the nature of a group, not its category
[Devitt]
|
17388
|
It seems that species lack essential properties, so they can't be natural kinds
[Dupré]
|
17389
|
A species might have its essential genetic mechanism replaced by a new one
[Dupré]
|
17870
|
Alien 'tigers' can't be tigers if they are not related to our tigers
[Almog]
|