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Inverse View
It is not the case that Individual essences, as purely qualitative or haecceitistic entities, cannot be individuated prior to the existence of the individual they are essences of.
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Reasons For
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Reason for
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1.
Mathematical and logical essences exist in abstract space independently; they are individuated by their formal structure, not existence.
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2.
If essences cannot be individuated pre-existence, God could not know which individual He creates; this undermines divine omniscience.
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3.
Possible worlds framework allows essences to be individuated within possible scenarios prior to any actual instantiation.
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Reasons Against
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Reason against
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1.
Essences are metaphysically dependent on their bearers; what has no bearer cannot be individuated as anything's essence.
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2.
Identity criteria for abstract entities require reference to concrete instantiators; essences lack independent identity conditions.
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3.
Haecceities are 'thisness' properties; they gain meaning only relative to the particular individual they individuate.
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