 The Metaphysics of Essence Question: If knowledge of modality depends on (or crucially involves) knowledge of essence, then what essences are metaphysically influences any story about how we know about essence and, hence, modality. Hence, the following metaphysical questions concerning essences are crucial for the epistemology of essence: What are essences? Are they the sum of the essential properties of a given entity, or kind? Are essences distinct entities from those things that they are essences of? Is (knowledge of) essence linked to (knowledge of) de dicto or de re necessity (or both)? Are there individual essences which uniquely identify a certain entity or only general essences that pertain to kinds of entities? Do all entities have exactly the same kind of essence? For example, do social kinds have the same kind of essence that natural kinds, or mathematical kinds have?