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Single Idea 17865

[from 'Meditations' by René Descartes, in 9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 4. Essence as Definition ]

Full Idea

For Descartes in providing an essence for an item [such as God, wax, or a mathematical kind] we provide an encapsulating formula defining the phenomenon.

Gist of Idea

Descartes gives an essence by an encapsulating formula

Source

report of René Descartes (Meditations [1641]) by Joseph Almog - Nature Without Essence I

Book Reference

-: 'Journal of Philosophy' [-], p.362


A Reaction

I argue that this is not what Aristotle intended be an essentialist definition, which can be quite long, like a scientific monograph. Descartes firmly rejected Aristotle's 'substantial form' as essence.