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From Plato to Aristotle: How did ancient Greek philosophy define "essence"?
In the development of ancient Greek philosophy, the definition of "essence" has always been a core topic discussed by philosophers. In the thinking of Plato and Aristotle, essence is seen as the fundamental characteristics of the existence of things, which determine the identity and nature of things.
Essence is the set of specific properties of an object without which the object would not be considered that thing.
Plato's idealism emphasizes that all things have an "essence", which is the so-called "Forms" or "Ideas". He believed that these essences were perfect, eternal, and existed above the world of perception, and could only be understood through reason. Plato elaborated on this in his work The Republic, proposing the metaphor of the cave, arguing that people see only shadows in the material world, while true truth and essence lie in the light outside the cave.
Compared with Plato's idealism, Aristotle took a different position. His philosophy pays more attention to the practicality of specific things. In his work "Categories", Aristotle believed that every thing has its own "substance" and "form" (Form), and these elements together constitute the identity of the thing. He emphasized that this essence is necessary for things, and things that lack essence cannot exist by definition.
The essence of things consists in the characteristics they share without which they would not be members of the category.
In the process of discussing essence, different philosophers have raised many doubts about the existence of "essence". Plato's Parmenides provides a profound reflection on this concept, stating that if all beautiful things have a common essence, then surely the existence of essences in various ordinary things, such as clay and hair, must also be defended. Such questioning makes the concept of essence more complex and controversial in philosophy.
Essentialist views extended to many social disciplines, such as biology and social theory, and figured prominently in 19th-century taxonomy. With the introduction of Darwin's theory of evolution, essentialism in biology has gradually been questioned, mainly because biological species are dynamic and changing, rather than static and unchanging. However, this is still much debated in current biological and psychological research.
The essentialist perspective, which asserts that social identities such as race and gender are fixed and unchanging characteristics, is central to many discriminatory or extremist ideologies.
In contemporary times, gender essentialism has sparked controversy. Many feminist theorists criticize this view, arguing that it simplifies gender roles and limits individual expression and choices. For example, gender essentialism often views the essence of women as having certain "intrinsic" qualities, such as nurturing, empathy, etc., which makes these qualities the definition of female identity.
This understanding of essence is also very obvious in cultural studies. Many scholars criticize past cultural views for relying too much on fixed and absolute categories. This kind of essentialist thinking can lead to cultural misunderstanding and distortion. Psychological research shows that people tend to view things in an essentialist way, and this view is innate to some extent.
In short, from Plato to Aristotle, multiple observations of essence reveal the complex relationship between the formation of knowledge and essence. This relationship not only affects the development of classical philosophy, but also continues to ferment in the understanding of contemporary society and culture. In the context of this discussion, readers may wonder: does essence really exist in our current context, or is it just a convenient conceptual framework?
