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Single Idea 11161

[from 'Essence and Modality' by Kit Fine, in 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 6. Essence as Unifier ]

Full Idea

We have an informal way of saying an object essentially has a property, as 'the object must have the property if it is to be the object that it is', and this form of words manages to convey what we wish to convey.

Gist of Idea

Essentially having a property is naturally expressed as 'the property it must have to be what it is'

Source

Kit Fine (Essence and Modality [1994], p. 4)

Book Reference

-: 'Philosophical Perspectives' [-], p.4


A Reaction

The importance of this claim is that it makes no mention of 'necessity'. Fine's view is plausible, but hard to evaluate once he has said. We seem to then divide an object's properties into identity properties, causal properties and peripheral properties.