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Full Idea
An essential attribute of something is an attribute it shares with all its counterparts.
Gist of Idea
Essential attributes are those shared with all the counterparts
Source
David Lewis (Counterpart theory and Quant. Modal Logic [1968], III)
Book Ref
Lewis,David: 'Philosophical Papers Vol.1' [OUP 1983], p.35
A Reaction
I don't like this. It ties essence entirely to identity, but I think essence precedes identity. Essence is a nexus of causal and explanatory powers which bestows an identity on each thing. But essence might be unstable, and identity with it.
| 16994 | Counterpart theory is bizarre, as no one cares what happens to a mere counterpart [Kripke on Lewis] |
| 11974 | Counterparts are not the original thing, but resemble it more than other things do [Lewis] |
| 11975 | If the closest resembler to you is in fact quite unlike you, then you have no counterpart [Lewis] |
| 11977 | Essential attributes are those shared with all the counterparts [Lewis] |
| 11976 | Aristotelian essentialism says essences are not relative to specification [Lewis] |
| 11979 | It doesn't take the whole of a possible Humphrey to win the election [Lewis] |
| 11978 | Causal necessities hold in all worlds compatible with the laws of nature [Lewis] |