Attributes

Definition

Attributes are the inherent characteristics or qualities that define and distinguish a substance or entity. They are the essential features that make something what it is, determining its nature and identity.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Attributes are the distinguishing features that make a substance or entity what it is, without which it would cease to be that particular thing.
2. Substances are defined by their attributes, which are the essential qualities that cannot be removed without fundamentally altering the nature of the substance.
3. The attributes of a substance are necessary and sufficient to fully describe its essence and identity.
4. Attributes can be physical, such as size, shape, and color, or non-physical, such as thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
5. Substances can have both essential attributes that are permanent and accidental attributes that are temporary or changeable.

Review Questions

• Explain how attributes are related to the concept of substance in philosophy.
  • Attributes are the essential characteristics that define and distinguish a substance. A substance is the underlying reality that possesses attributes, and the attributes are what make a substance what it is. Attributes are necessary and sufficient to fully describe the essence and identity of a substance. Without its attributes, a substance would cease to be that particular thing, as the attributes are the defining features that give a substance its nature.
• Describe the difference between essential and accidental attributes of a substance.
  • Essential attributes are the permanent, necessary, and unchanging characteristics that are fundamental to the identity of a substance. They cannot be removed without fundamentally altering the nature of the substance. Accidental attributes, on the other hand, are temporary or changeable characteristics that are not essential to the substance's identity. Accidental attributes may come and go without affecting the substance's core essence.
• Analyze how the concept of attributes relates to the philosophical understanding of the nature of reality.
  • The attributes of a substance are crucial to the philosophical understanding of the nature of reality. Attributes are what define the essential qualities and identity of a substance, and substances are considered the fundamental building blocks of reality. By examining the attributes of substances, philosophers can gain insight into the underlying nature of the world and the essential characteristics that make up the fabric of reality. The study of attributes is therefore central to metaphysical inquiries about the nature of existence and the fundamental components that constitute the universe.

Related terms

Substance: The fundamental underlying reality that possesses attributes and gives something its essential nature.

Essence: The intrinsic, permanent, and unchanging nature of a thing that makes it what it is.

Property: A specific characteristic or quality that a substance or entity possesses.