The Routledge Handbook of Essence in Philosophy

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Kathrin Koslicki (University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland) Michael J. Raven (University of Victoria, Canada, and University of Washington, USA)

The Routledge Handbook of Essence in Philosophy

Kathrin Koslicki (University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland), Michael J. Raven (University of Victoria, Canada, and University of Washington, USA)

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English

Routledge
15 May 2024

Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500; Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology; Philosophy: logic; Philosophy: aesthetics; Philosophy of science

Series: Routledge Handbooks in Philosophy

Essences have been assigned important but controversial explanatory roles in philosophical, scientific, and social theorizing. Is it possible for the same organism to be first a caterpillar and then a butterfly? Is it impossible for a human being to transform into an insect like Gregor Samsa does in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis? Is it impossible for Lot’s wife to survive being turned into a pillar of salt? Traditionally, essences (or natures) have been thought to help answer such central questions about existence, identity, persistence, and modality. These questions are not only of great philosophical interest, they also are of great interest to society at large.

This Handbook surveys the state of the art on essence. Core issues about essence are discussed in 33 chapters, all of them written exclusively for this volume by leading experts. They are organized into the following four major parts, each with its own introduction that provides a summary and comparison of the part’s chapters:

History Essence and Essentialisms: Themes and Variations Applications Anti-Essentialist Challenges.

The volume is accessible enough for students while also providing enough details to make it a valuable reference for researchers.

While the notion of essence has been targeted for sustained criticisms since antiquity, recent work has renewed interest in the topic. This Handbook explains and synthesizes much of this current interest, placing essence within its historical context and drawing connections to many contemporary areas of philosophy as well as to scholarly work in other disciplines. With cross-references in each chapter and a comprehensive index, The Routledge Handbook of Essence in Philosophy is a useful resource and essential reading for anyone, whether in or out of academic philosophy, seeking clarification on one of philosophy’s most distinctive and notorious notions.

Edited by: Kathrin Koslicki (University of Neuchâtel Switzerland), Michael J. Raven (University of Victoria, Canada, and University of Washington, USA)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm,
Weight: 1.140kg
ISBN: 9780367442798
ISBN 10: 0367442795
Series: Routledge Handbooks in Philosophy
Pages: 516
Publication Date: 15 May 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Kathrin Koslicki is Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Neuchâtel. Koslicki’s research interests in philosophy lie mainly in metaphysics, the philosophy of language and ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle. In her two books (The Structure of Objects, Oxford UP, 2008; and Form, Matter, Substance, Oxford UP, 2018), she defends a neo-Aristotelian analysis of concrete particular objects as compounds of matter (hulē) and form (morphē). Michael J. Raven is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria and Affiliate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington. He is a co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of the journal Metaphysics, and also a co-founder and steering committee member of the Metaphysics Collaborative.