Considerations on metaphysical essentialism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26512/rfmc.v12i2.54029Keywords:
Metaphysical Essentialism. Sortal Essentialism. Natural Kinds.Abstract
Initially, an overview of metaphysical essentialism is presented and how its debate is related to the problem of Natural Kinds. Namely, how can we determine which modal and existential criteria are contained in natural classes, in natural entities, in order to delimit which are the essential and accidental properties of the natural objects belonging to them (species, chemical elements, organisms) in order to capture a possible real and immutable essence. Subsequently, the hybrid conception between causal theory of reference and conventionalism (modal conceptualism) of Amie L. Thomasson is presented as an alternative to the realist versus anti-realist questions of natural classes.
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