> I don't agree with Peikoff very much. Objectivism is just another form
> of essentialism, and I do not like essentialism.
>
> I agree analytic truths are necessary, as are other abstractions,
> reality being one.
>
I wasnt familiar with the term so I did some searching. Heres what I got:
http://www.xrefer.com/entry/343888
<snip>
Essentialism, in philosophy, is the doctrine that things have essential
properties, properties without which they would not be the things that they
are. Many philosophers hold that the essence of water is its real essence;
the essence of water is H2O. So the stuff in my glass has an essential
property, a property without which it would not be the stuff that it is; if
the stuff in my glass did not have the property of being H2O, then it would
not be water.
Anti-essentialists hold that there are no essential properties (properties
without which things would not be the things that they are) independently of
our definitions and ways of classifying things. Being a rational animal is
an essential property of humans, but this is merely because we have chosen
to define 'human' as 'rational animal', because we have chosen to
classifying something as a human just if it is a rational animal. And things
do not have essential properties independently of our definitions and ways
of classifying things. AJ
<snip>
Am I to understand about this Anti-essentialist view that "there are no
essential properties independently of our definitions and ways of
classifying things". This goes to the heart of Rand's theory of concept
formation. Heres an example of how one forms a concept. Imagine if you have
3 balls. One is light blue, one is dark blue, and one is red. You notice an
attribute that is similar between 2 of the balls that the 3rd doesnt
possess, even though this attribute differs in magnitude. You mentally
isolate this attribute and tag a lable on it, in english this label is
"Blue". The attribute does in fact exist in reality, it does in fact exist
for all people with the proper machinery to detect this fact (those
colorblind may not detect it, but a lack of information isnt a
contridiction). Man disnt make this up, this attribute is in fact an
"essential" attribute of blue. It IS blue. In the example they use above, if
you remove the attribute "H2O" from "water", you dont have water anymore. If
I'm off base on this, please explain. I really am interested in this branch
of philosophy. Thanks!
Jerry
P.S. I only push this to the list because it looks like others might be
interested in this aspect of philosophy, if anyone thinks that its better
served to discuss this elsewhere, just let me know and Ill drop it here.
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