Single Idea 15070

[catalogued under 10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 6. Necessity from Essence]

Full Idea

It is of the nature of Socrates to be a man; and from this it appears to follow that necessarily he is a man.

Gist of Idea

It is the nature of Socrates to be a man, so necessarily he is a man

Source

Kit Fine (Necessity and Non-Existence [2005], 04)

Book Reference

Fine,Kit: 'Modality and Tense' [OUP 2005], p.328


A Reaction

I'm always puzzled by this line of thought, because it is only the intrinsic nature of beings like Socrates which decides in the first place what a 'man' is. How can something help to create a category, and then necessarily belong to that category?