How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism

Nimtz C (2021)
Erkenntnis 86(1): 149-170.

Zeitschriftenaufsatz | Veröffentlicht | Englisch
 
Download
Es wurden keine Dateien hochgeladen. Nur Publikationsnachweis!
Abstract / Bemerkung
Standard arguments for essentialism with respect to natural kinds such as gold, star, water or tiger enlist essentialist principles or essentialist intuitions. I argue that we need neither. All it takes to establish essentialism for the kinds in question are insights from science and semantics. Semantics establishes that natural kind predicates such as "is gold" or "is a star" are paradigm terms whose application conditions are relationally determined, object involving, and actuality dependent. Science assures us that a posteriori hypotheses such as "for all x(x is gold <-> x is Au)" are deeply explanatory, as well as true. Taken together, these results establish essentialism for kinds such as gold, star, water or tiger. I consider this a deflationary result. When it comes to natural kind essentialism, there is no need for substantial metaphysics, be it essentialist or otherwise.
Erscheinungsjahr
2021
Zeitschriftentitel
Erkenntnis
Band
86
Ausgabe
1
Seite(n)
149-170
ISSN
0165-0106
eISSN
1572-8420
Page URI
https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/record/2952135

Zitieren

Nimtz C. How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism. Erkenntnis. 2021;86(1):149-170.
Nimtz, C. (2021). How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism. Erkenntnis, 86(1), 149-170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10670-018-0098-1
Nimtz, Christian. 2021. “How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism”. Erkenntnis 86 (1): 149-170.
Nimtz, C. (2021). How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism. Erkenntnis 86, 149-170.
Nimtz, C., 2021. How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism. Erkenntnis, 86(1), p 149-170.
C. Nimtz, “How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism”, Erkenntnis, vol. 86, 2021, pp. 149-170.
Nimtz, C.: How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism. Erkenntnis. 86, 149-170 (2021).
Nimtz, Christian. “How Science and Semantics Settle the Issue of Natural Kind Essentialism”. Erkenntnis 86.1 (2021): 149-170.
Export

Markieren/ Markierung löschen
Markierte Publikationen

Open Data PUB

Web of Science

Dieser Datensatz im Web of Science®
Suchen in

Google Scholar