The explanatory requirement states that citing a kind's essence is central in explaining the properties typically associated with members of that kind.

Do the results of this section thus far imply that relational essentialism is correct? Consider two traditional requirements of essentialism highlighted by Okasha (2002). The membership requirement: the essence of a kind provides the necessary and sufficient conditions for membership in that kind. The explanatory requirement: citing a kind’s essence is central in explaining the properties typically associated with the members of that kind. Given these two requirements Okasha offers the following