What makes something what it is?

In a scientific point of view, the “essence” of an animal or an inanimate object is how the structure of it is. The scientist will tell you the reason something holds its shape is because of bonds and a chemical structure. On the other side of the coin, the philosophical point of view is much different and much more complicated. Aristotle believes that objects can have an “essence.” There is something that makes it act, look, or be the way it is. It is the attribute (or set of attributes) that makes a thing be what it fundamentally is. It can also be called the “nature” of a thing such that it possesses certain necessary, metaphysical characteristics. Many feel all humans have their own essence, and it is their essence that makes them who they are. Whether it is how they look or their personality. But can a chipmunk have essence, can a glass have essence? Basically I feel that if the object comes in different forms, then it has essence.

If one would have the desire to line up three chipmunks in a line they would be able to find three fundamental differences among the chipmunks. Ultimately, the chipmunk would have essence because of the differences. There may also be differences inside the chipmunk that may also make it different from the others. This just makes for a stronger case in the idea that each chipmunk has a different essence.

Taking a look at the other side, hydrogen atoms are much different then chipmunks, they all hold a definite shape and do not have different shapes and sizes. Therefore hydrogen atoms do not have any essence. Comparing atoms to atoms, the atoms have an essence. Separate atoms have an essence because they can be different sizes and different shapes. The “essence” is changes in the atoms. For example if you compare a hydrogen atom to a carbon atom, there is a definite difference. The carbon atom might be larger and shaped in a different way. The size difference is the essence of the conflicting atoms. It goes back to the example where one would line up the chipmunks, lining up the atoms (although not possible) one would be able to see the difference between a carbon atom and a hydrogen atom. But if you were line up three hydrogen atoms there would be no difference, again, no essence. To sum up, it depends on how technical you get when talking about something, if the object can be narrowed down to where it cannot be changed then it doesn’t have essence.

Many people may say that only living things can have essence, but I feel that is completely false. Take the example of a glass. Going back to my other point, different glasses have different essences. The essence that makes it what it is. It could be a green glass or a clear glass. If there was no essence then all the glasses in the world would have to be the same. All in all, the object or living thing only has and essence if it can come in a different form, size, shape, color or anything that does not have an absolute replica.