 Of course, (H1) is not going to be true for all instances of \(x\) and F. However, Hale thinks that one can come to know in an a priori manner claims such as if x is human, then it is essential to x that it is human. Similarly, we know that it is not true that if \(x\) is a musician, then it is essential to \(x\) that she is a musician. According to Hale, this is done by distinguishing between pure and impure sortals (2013: 270–275). So, for Hale, the major premise in (H1) is known a priori. The minor premise in (H2) might be a piece of a posteriori knowledge, such as, e.g., that Joanie is a human. When (H2) is a posteriori, the conclusion (H3) is also a posteriori, since the combination of an a priori premise and an a posteriori premise always yields an a posteriori conclusion.