Names and attributes must be accommodated to the essence of things, and not the essence to the names, since things come first and names afterwards.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Language should reflect the true nature of reality rather than forcing reality to fit our labels. Things exist independently before we name them.
- In plain terms
- Names should describe what things truly are, not the other way around.
- What can you take from it?
- Let reality define our language, not let language distort reality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can we ever know the essence of something before naming it?
- Do our names limit how we understand things?
Another view
Some abstract concepts may not have a clear essence to accommodate names.
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