Non-essentialism
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| - | '''Difference''' is a key [[concept]] of [[continental philosophy]], denoting the process or set of [[Property (philosophy)|properties]] by which one [[entity]] is distinguished from another within a [[Relational theory|relational]] field or a given [[conceptual system]]. In the [[Western philosophy|Western philosophical system]], difference is traditionally viewed as being opposed to [[Identity (philosophy)|identity]], following the [[Gottfried Leibniz#The Principles|Principles of Leibniz]], and in particular his Law of the [[Identity of indiscernibles]]. In [[structuralism|structuralist]] and [[poststructuralism|poststructuralist]] accounts, however, difference is understood to be ''constitutive'' of both meaning and identity. In other words, because identity (particularly, but not limited to, [[personal identity]]) is viewed in [[non-essentialism|non-essentialist]] terms as a construct, and because constructs only produce meaning through the interplay of differences (see below), it is the case that for both [[structuralism]] and [[poststructuralism]], identity cannot be said to exist without difference. | ||
| + | Often synonymous to [[anti-foundationalism]], '''non-essentialism''' in [[philosophy]] is the non-belief in an [[essence]] (from Latin ''esse'') of any given thing, idea, or metaphysical [[entity]] (e.g. God). Non-essentialism might also be defined cataphatically as the belief that for any entity, there are no specific traits or [[Absolute (philosophy)|ground of being]] which entities of that kind must possess in order to be considered "that entity." | ||
| - | ==See also== | + | Non-essentialism is not restricted to simple philosophical speculation. It is also found in academic disciplines such as [[sociology]], [[anthropology]], [[God is dead|theology]], [[history]]/[[historiography]] and [[science]]. How non-essentialism is used in these discourses varies a bit given their different content and subject matter. |
| - | *[[Identity (philosophy)]] | + | |
| - | *[[Gottfried Leibniz]] | + | == See also == |
| - | *[[Identity of indiscernibles]] | + | * [[Essentialism]] |
| - | *[[Immanuel Kant]] | + | * [[Existentialism]] |
| - | *[[Critique of Pure Reason]] | + | * [[Social constructionism]] |
| - | *[[Ferdinand de Saussure]] | + | |
| - | *[[Claude Lévi-Strauss]] | + | |
| - | *[[Structuralism]] | + | |
| - | *[[Jacques Derrida]] | + | |
| - | *[[Poststructuralism]] | + | |
| - | *[[Différance]] | + | |
| - | *[[Social constructionism]] | + | |
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Often synonymous to anti-foundationalism, non-essentialism in philosophy is the non-belief in an essence (from Latin esse) of any given thing, idea, or metaphysical entity (e.g. God). Non-essentialism might also be defined cataphatically as the belief that for any entity, there are no specific traits or ground of being which entities of that kind must possess in order to be considered "that entity."
Non-essentialism is not restricted to simple philosophical speculation. It is also found in academic disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, theology, history/historiography and science. How non-essentialism is used in these discourses varies a bit given their different content and subject matter.
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