Full Idea
If my speculations are correct, then essentialism starts out strictly as a belief that many categories are richly structured kinds, then additionally becomes a search for underlying inherent properties.
Gist of Idea
Essentialism starts from richly structured categories, leading to a search for underlying properties
Source
Susan A. Gelman (The Essential Child [2003], 10 'Figuring')
Book Reference
Gelman,Susan A.: 'The Essential Child' [OUP 2005], p.286
A Reaction
This is her summary of extensive essentialist research among children. She favours the priority of kinds and categories. We actually change taxonomies on the basis of revisions in our accounts of essence. Science negotiates.