CEFISES Seminar: Tuomas Tahko, “Essence Without Modality?”

Livestream  https://youtu.be/XECKl1wMsRI

Series: Metametaphysics

Speaker: Tuomas Tahko (University of Bristol)

Title: “Essence Without Modality?”

Abstract

I will sketch a theory of modality built on essential dependence relations between actually existing entities. The background is Aristotelian/Finean essentialism, and the idea that modality can be reduced to essence. However, more needs to be said about what essences are considered to be on this picture and about the nature of this reduction. On my view, essences are not entities. Instead, I propose to read ‘essence’ as ‘the identity and existence conditions of an entity’. A reductive analysis of modality in terms of essence woAbstract: I will sketch a theory of modality built on essential dependence relations between actually existing entities. The background is Aristotelian/Finean essentialism, and the idea that modality can be reduced to essence. However, more needs to be said about what essences are considered to be on this picture and about the nature of this reduction. On my view, essences are not entities. Instead, I propose to read ‘essence’ as ‘the identity and existence conditions of an entity’. A reductive analysis of modality in terms of essence would then suggest that every essential truth has modal implications. I conclude by showing how this view of essence and modality may be connected to scientific modelling practices.uld then suggest that every essential truth has modal implications. I conclude by showing how this view of essence and modality may be connected to scientific modelling practices.