  Aristotle is arguing that the rejection of PNC leads to the rejection of Aristotelian essentialism, and the acceptance of Aristotelian essentialism leads to the acceptance of PNC. A controversial question is whether Aristotle is also arguing that the acceptance of PNC necessarily goes hand in hand with the acceptance of Aristotelian essentialism. If Aristotle is claiming that to signify something is to signify a bearer that has an essential nature, this would lead to the acceptance of both PNC and some form of essentialism. The argument itself does not rule out Platonic forms as the bearers, or momentary objects, or numbers. Nevertheless, the argument could be supplemented by Aristotle’s arguments elsewhere against Platonic forms, and his distinctions between different types of change in the world.