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Single Idea 12262

[catalogued under 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 7. Essence and Necessity / b. Essence not necessities]

Full Idea

A property [idion] is something which does not show the essence of a thing but belongs to it alone. ...No one calls anything a property which can possibly belong to something else.

Gist of Idea

An 'idion' belongs uniquely to a thing, but is not part of its essence

Source

Aristotle (Topics [c.331 BCE], 102a18)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'Posterior Analytics and Topica', ed/tr. Tredennick,H/Foster,ES [Harvard 1960], p.283


A Reaction

[See Charlotte Witt 106 on this] 'Property' is clearly a bad translation for such an individual item. Witt uses 'proprium', which is a necessary but nonessential property of something. Necessity is NOT the hallmark of essence. See Idea 12266.

Related Idea

Idea 12266 'Same' is mainly for names or definitions, but also for propria, and for accidents [Aristotle]