Sentence examples for relational essentialism from inspiring English sources
According to relational essentialism, certain relations among organisms, or between organisms and the environment, are necessary and sufficient for membership in a species.
The problem with Okasha's relational essentialism is that if the relations that serve as the identity conditions for a species are not central in explaining the typical traits among a species' members, then such relations are not essences.
Devitt (2008) rejects relational essentialism.
Let us consider Devitt's critique of relational essentialism.
He argues that relational essentialism fails to answer two crucial questions.
Do the results of this section thus far imply that relational essentialism is correct?
Stronger, more interesting versions of essentialism like origin essentialism ascribe distinctive essential properties to individuals.
For example, according to origin essentialism, biological individuals have their biological origins essentially.
So one option for biological essentialism is to drop the traditional view that the natural properties that are essential for membership of a natural kind are intrinsic: natural, extrinsic (relational) properties can play this role (Okasha 2002).
