Plato's Essentialism

In this book Vasilis Politis argues that Plato's Forms are essences not merely things that have an essence. Politis shows that understanding Plato's theory of Forms as a theory of essence presents a serious challenge to contemporary philosophers who regard essentialism as little more than an optional item on the philosophical menu. This approach he suggests also constitutes a sharp critique of those who view Aristotelian essentialism as the only sensible position: Plato's essentialism Politis demonstrates is a well-argued rigorous and coherent theory and a viable competitor to that of Aristotle. This book will appeal to students and scholars with an interest in the intersection between philosophy and the history of philosophy.