Kathrin Koslicki is Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Neuchâtel. Koslicki's research interests in philosophy lie mainly in metaphysics, the philosophy of language and ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle. In her two books (The Structure of Objects, Oxford UP, 2008; and Form, Matter, Substance, Oxford UP, 2018), she defends a neo-Aristotelian analysis of concrete particular objects as compounds of matter (hul¿) and form (morph¿).

Michael J. Raven is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria and Affiliate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington. He is a co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of the journal Metaphysics, and also a co-founder and steering committee member of the Metaphysics Collaborative.

Introduction Kathrin Koslicki and Michael J. Raven Part 1: History 1. Ancient Marko Malink 2. Medieval Gloria Frost 3. Modern Anat Schechtman 4. Pragmatism Andrew Howat 5. Contemporary (Phenomenological Tradition) Kevin Mulligan 6. Contemporary (Analytic Tradition) Robert Michels Part 2: Essence and Essentialisms: Themes and Variations 7. Modal Conceptions of Essence Alessandro Torza 8. Non-modal Conceptions of Essence Fabrice Correia 9. Essences of Individuals Marco Marabello 10. Natural Kind Essentialsm Tuomas Tahko 11. Origin Essentialism Teresa Robertson Ishii 12. Scientific Essentialism Travis Dumsday 13. Dispositional Essentialism Ka Ho Lam 14. Epistemology of Essence Antonella Mallozzi 15. Language of Essence Katherine Ritchie 16. Logic of Essence Jon Litland Part 3: Applications 17. Artifacts, Artworks, and Social Objects Asya Passinsky 18. Biological Species Ingo Brigandt 19. Identity, Persistence, and Individuation Maria Scarpati 20. Essence, Grounding, and Explanation David Kovacs 21. The "Reduction" of Necessity to Non-Modal Essence Kathrin Koslicki 22. Persons Annina Loets 23. Psychiatric Kinds Danielle Brown 24. Race Ron Mallon 25. Sex and Gender Esther Rosario 26. Social Justice Natalie Stoljar 27. Unity Charlotte Witt 28. Ethical Value Julie Tannenbaum and Stavroula Glezakos Part 4: Anti-essentialist Challenges 29. Quinean Anti-Essentialism Kit Fine 30. Conventionalism Alan Sidelle and Jonathan Livingstone-Banks 31. Social Construction Aaron Griffith 32. Conferralism Anand Vaidya and Michael Wallner 33. Wittgenstein Arata Hamawaki. Index