Hi! I've read that according to Aristotle, every thing has an essence which makes it what it is. — mew
Also, that essence is universal but something universal exists only through particular things. — mew
I think that Aristotle was a substance dualist, as he distinguish primary substance from secondary substance, so he has two distinct ways of using "essence", one refers to a universal, the other to a particular. — Metaphysician Undercover
What are family resemblances? — mew
Isn't it contradictory to say that the essence of things is that they have no essence? :s — mew
Well I have my mother's nose, and my father's eyes, but my sister has my father's nose and my mother's eyes; so we have nothing in common, but are the same family. — unenlightened
Yes. It was a joke. — unenlightened
Is there an objective way to say who is not part of the family? — mew
You're not part of my family for definite, but the dog is — unenlightened
Do you mean that there is something due to which a particular human is the particular human that it is and then there's something due to which humans are humans? — mew
What would be the latter? Is there such a thing? — mew
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.