Why Essences: Spinoza

This essay attempts to answer a simple but largely neglected elemental question: why does Spinoza endorse essences? I begin by delineating three perennial metaphysical problems, namely those of individuation, change, and persistence, after which I analyze the way in which they function as the deeply ingrained backdrop that motivates Spinoza’s essentialism, allowing him to develop a sophisticated conceptual framework on which he builds his ethics proper. I end by discussing the relationship between Spinoza’s essentialism and modality and argue that while Spinoza anticipates certain contemporary lines of thought, giving an account of modality is not high on his agenda: his necessitarianism is a by-product of building a philosophical system motivated by other metaphysical concerns.