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Essential universal

al-dhātī

الذَّاتِيّ

An essential universal (dhātī) is one that belongs to the reality of what it is said of.

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In a picture

Genus, species and differentia are essential: each is part of, or the whole of, what the thing is.

Explanation

Genus and differentia are essential; the commentaries discuss whether the species, being the whole reality, is also called essential.

Also written as: dhati, essential.

In the text

وَالْكُلِّيُّ إِمَّا ذَاتِيٌّ: وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَدْخُلُ فِي حَقِيقَةِ جُزْئِيَّاتِهِ كَالْحَيَوَانِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى الإِنْسَانِ وَالْفَرَسِ، وَإِمَّا عَرَضِيٌّ: وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُخَالِفُهُ كَالضَّاحِكِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى الإِنْسَانِ.A universal is either essential, one that enters into the reality of its particulars, like “animal” relative to human and horse; or accidental, one that is otherwise, like “laughing” relative to human.

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