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https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies
Thaddeus Metz
orcid.org/0000-0001-9861-2408
; University of Johannesburg, Department of Philosophy, B-Ring 7, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, ZA–2006 Johannesburg
Full text: french pdf 551 Kb
page 209-224
downloads: 557
cite
APA 6th Edition
Metz, T. (2018). What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica, 33 (1), 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
MLA 8th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica, vol. 33, no. 1, 2018, pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Chicago 17th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica 33, no. 1 (2018): 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Harvard
Metz, T. (2018). 'What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies', Synthesis philosophica, 33(1), pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Vancouver
Metz T. What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 April 27];33(1):209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
IEEE
T. Metz, "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies", Synthesis philosophica, vol.33, no. 1, pp. 209-224, 2018. [Online]. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Full text: german pdf 551 Kb
page 209-224
downloads: 286
cite
APA 6th Edition
Metz, T. (2018). What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica, 33 (1), 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
MLA 8th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica, vol. 33, no. 1, 2018, pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Chicago 17th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica 33, no. 1 (2018): 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Harvard
Metz, T. (2018). 'What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies', Synthesis philosophica, 33(1), pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Vancouver
Metz T. What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 April 27];33(1):209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
IEEE
T. Metz, "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies", Synthesis philosophica, vol.33, no. 1, pp. 209-224, 2018. [Online]. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Full text: croatian pdf 551 Kb
page 209-224
downloads: 309
cite
APA 6th Edition
Metz, T. (2018). What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica, 33 (1), 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
MLA 8th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica, vol. 33, no. 1, 2018, pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Chicago 17th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica 33, no. 1 (2018): 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Harvard
Metz, T. (2018). 'What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies', Synthesis philosophica, 33(1), pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Vancouver
Metz T. What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 April 27];33(1):209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
IEEE
T. Metz, "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies", Synthesis philosophica, vol.33, no. 1, pp. 209-224, 2018. [Online]. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Full text: english pdf 551 Kb
page 209-224
downloads: 428
cite
APA 6th Edition
Metz, T. (2018). What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica, 33 (1), 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
MLA 8th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica, vol. 33, no. 1, 2018, pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Chicago 17th Edition
Metz, Thaddeus. "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies." Synthesis philosophica 33, no. 1 (2018): 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Harvard
Metz, T. (2018). 'What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies', Synthesis philosophica, 33(1), pp. 209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Vancouver
Metz T. What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies. Synthesis philosophica [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 April 27];33(1):209-224. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
IEEE
T. Metz, "What is the Essence of an Essence? Comparing Afro-Relational and Western-Individualist Ontologies", Synthesis philosophica, vol.33, no. 1, pp. 209-224, 2018. [Online]. https://doi.org/10.21464/sp33113
Abstract
The dominant view amongst contemporary Western philosophers about the essence of a natural object is that it is constituted by its intrinsic properties. The ontological approach salient in the African philosophical tradition, in contrast, accounts for a thing’s essence by appeal to its relational properties. The Afro-relational ontology is under-developed, with the primary aim of this article being to help rectify that weakness. Specifically, this article’s aims are: to articulate an African approach to understanding the essence of a concrete, natural thing in terms of its relationships; to illustrate the Afro-relational approach with the examples of the self and of water; to contrast the Afro-relational characterization of the essence of the self and of water with a typically Western construal in terms of their intrinsic properties; and finally to provide an initial defence of the Afro-relational approach, both by responding to some objections facing it and by providing some new, positive reasons to take it seriously.
Keywords
African metaphysics; essence; intrinsic properties; natures; ontology; personal identity; relational properties; self; water
Hrčak ID:
219850
URI
https://hrcak.srce.hr/219850
Publication date:
6.11.2018.
Article data in other languages:
french
german
croatian
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