Full Idea
Aporia 6: Are the principles of a thing the kinds to which the thing belongs or are they rather the ultimate elements that are present in the thing and compose the thing?
Gist of Idea
Aporia 6: Are the basic principles of a thing the kinds to which it belongs, or its components?
Source
report of Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 0998a20-b13) by Vassilis Politis - Aristotle and the Metaphysics 3.4
Book Reference
Politis,Vasilis: 'Aristotle and the Metaphysics' [Routledge 2004], p.85
A Reaction
This is the heart of the modern debate on essentialism, between sortal essentialists (Brody and Wiggins) and those basing essences on powers and basic stuff (Ellis, Fine). I say the sortal bunch are wrong, wrong, wrong.