# Non-essentialism

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{{Short description|Non-belief in an essence of things}}

'''Non-essentialism''' is a [philosophical](/source/philosophy) position which states that "things" (including but not limited to ideas, inanimate objects, living beings, and purported religious or metaphysical [entities](/source/Non-physical_entity)) do not contain an inherent [essence](/source/essence) that is inseparable from their being.

Fundamentally, the concept of non-essentialism is the opposite of [essentialism](/source/essentialism), and may be considered similar to the concept of [anti-foundationalism](/source/anti-foundationalism). Non-essentialism might also be defined cataphatically (i.e. affirmatively; see [cataphatic theology](/source/cataphatic_theology)) as the belief that for any entity, there are no specific traits or [ground of being](/source/Absolute_(philosophy)) which entities of that kind must possess to be considered "that entity."

Non-essentialism is not restricted to general philosophical speculation. It is also found in academic disciplines such as [sociology](/source/sociology), [anthropology](/source/anthropology), [theology](/source/theology), [history](/source/history)/[historiography](/source/historiography) and [science](/source/science). How non-essentialism is used in these discourses  varies given their different content and subject matter.

==Criticism==
[Edward Feser](/source/Edward_Feser) describes the position as not only untenable logically but psychologically impossible. In his book ''Aristotle's Revenge'' he argues that one cannot say the universe essentially does not have an essence without violating the [Law of noncontradiction](/source/Law_of_noncontradiction).<ref>[Edward Feser](/source/Edward_Feser) ''Aristotle's Revenge, The Metaphysical Foundations of Physical and Biological Science'' (editionae scholasticae, 2019) p.82.</ref>

== See also ==
*{{annotated link|Accidentalism (philosophy)}}
* [Adiaphora](/source/Adiaphora)
* [Anatta](/source/Anatta)
* [Antinaturalism](/source/Antinaturalism_(politics))
* [Essentialism](/source/Essentialism)
* [Existentialism](/source/Existentialism)
* [Nominalism](/source/Nominalism)
* [Object-oriented ontology](/source/Object-oriented_ontology)
* [Social constructionism](/source/Social_constructionism)
* [Structuralism](/source/Structuralism)

==Citations==
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==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Non-Essentialism}}
Category:Essentialism
Category:Substance theory

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