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Ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'Actualism and Possible Worlds' and 'Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy'

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9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 1. Essences of Objects

14666	Socrates is a contingent being, but his essence is not; without Socrates, his essence is unexemplified [Plantinga]
	Full Idea: Socrates is a contingent being; his essence, however, is not. Properties, like propositions and possible worlds, are necessary beings. If Socrates had not existed, his essence would have been unexemplified, but not non-existent.
	From: Alvin Plantinga (Actualism and Possible Worlds [1976], 4)
	A reaction: This is a distinctive Plantinga view, of which I can make little sense. I take it that Socrates used to have an essence. Being dead, the essence no longer exists, but when we talk about Socrates it is largely this essence to which we refer. OK?