Essentiality without Necessity
Abstract: It is widely accepted that if a property is essential then it is necessary. Against this I present numerous counterexamples from biology and chemistry, which fall into two groups: (I) A property is essential to a genus or species, yet some instances of this genus or species do not have this essential property. (II) A property is essential to a genus, yet some species of this genus do not have this essential property. I discuss and reject four minor objections. Then I discuss in depth whether a distinction between constitutive essence and consequential essence is able to handle these counterexamples. I conclude that this distinction is better put as one between (1) the essence, which is necessary, and (2) the essential properties, which are not formally necessary. An essence of an object X is the substantial universal expressed by its real definition. An object X has a property P essentially if the property P is explanatory and non-trivial, and P follows from the essence of X.
- Location
-
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
- Extent
-
Online-Ressource
- Language
-
Englisch
- Bibliographic citation
-
Essentiality without Necessity ; volume:30 ; number:1 ; year:2016 ; pages:61-78 ; extent:18
Kriterion ; 30, Heft 1 (2016), 61-78 (gesamt 18)
- Creator
-
Sandstad, Petter
- DOI
-
10.1515/krt-2016-300107
- URN
-
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022090315075008600332
- Rights
-
Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
- Last update
-
15.08.2025, 7:35 AM CEST
Data provider
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.
Associated
- Sandstad, Petter
Other Objects (12)
Stern necessity
Order & Necessity
Real existence, ideal necessity : Kant's compromise, and the modalities without the compromise
Necessity and luxury
Necessity. A Fragment
A diplomatic necessity
Relative Necessity Reformulated
Models of necessity
Trauma Without Borders: The Necessity for School-Based Interventions in Treating Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Leibniz, God and necessity
Tariff Reform A Necessity.
Necessity has no law
Stern necessity
Order & Necessity
Real existence, ideal necessity : Kant's compromise, and the modalities without the compromise
Necessity and luxury
Necessity. A Fragment
A diplomatic necessity
Relative Necessity Reformulated
Models of necessity
Trauma Without Borders: The Necessity for School-Based Interventions in Treating Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Leibniz, God and necessity
Tariff Reform A Necessity.
Necessity has no law
Stern necessity
Order & Necessity
Real existence, ideal necessity : Kant's compromise, and the modalities without the compromise
Necessity and luxury
Necessity. A Fragment
A diplomatic necessity
Relative Necessity Reformulated
Models of necessity
Trauma Without Borders: The Necessity for School-Based Interventions in Treating Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Leibniz, God and necessity
Tariff Reform A Necessity.