Conatus: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

We see only qualities in the world, not ‘things in themselves’ and we only see things in relation to other things. I am suggesting however that relation is not the problem that it’s made out to be — I am suggesting that relation might be the solution!

The book likens the search for a substrate to ancient philosophy’s interest in essence. We believe ourselves to have an essence. In a similar manner, we infer essence in other people, in animals and even in inanimate objects. We have an essentialist approach to truth, morality and beauty and we also seek essence in trying to define a good society.

So we’ve an obsession with essence — but this plays out in different ways. Science, as we’ve seen above, looks for a substrate. Meanwhile, in everyday life, people look for charm, charisma, personality, enchantment and authenticity.

The idea that things have an essence seems to be something that is implicitly assumed. But modern philosophers will often reject this notion. Pragmatic philosophers, such as John Dewey, or, more recently, Richard Rorty, are non-essentialists and instead they suggest that we simply have various narrative truths that suit particular human projects. There is a lot to be said for this approach to life, but, as Rorty himself admits, the ‘common-sense’ view of the world still assumes an external truth and an essence to things. Perhaps this is the legacy of over 2,500 years of Western philosophy. Perhaps it is just too difficult to get away from this notion of essence because of the way our minds process the world.

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