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essence
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Essence () has various meanings and uses for different thinkers and in different contexts. It is used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties or attributes that make an entity the entity it is or, expressed negatively, without which it would lose its identity. Essence is contrasted with accident, which is a property or attribute the entity has accidentally or contingently, but upon which its identity does not depend.
Essence refers to the fundamental properties or attributes that make something what it is—without which it would become something else entirely. This concept matters because it helps philosophers and theologians distinguish between the core characteristics that define an entity's identity and the changeable or accidental features it might possess.
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~9 min read
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Philosophy
- Ontological status<!--Linked from Etienne Gilson.-->
- Existentialism
- Religion
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Hinduism
- See also
- References
- Sources
- External links
Essence () has various meanings and uses for different thinkers and in different contexts. It is used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties or attributes that make an entity the entity it is or, expressed negatively, without which it would lose its identity. Essence is contrasted with accident, which is a property or attribute the entity has accidentally or contingently, but upon which its identity does not depend.
==Etymology==