Students sometimes assume an accidental attribute must be short-lived. That is not the definition here. The decisive criterion is whether the property lies outside the essence.
A person may remain learned throughout life; 'learned' is nonetheless external to the essence of humanity.
The textbook also treats 'capable of laughter' as accidental without reducing it to a momentary state.
Thus accidental is not synonymous with fleeting.
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Accidental does not mean merely temporary
Essence, Quiddity, and Essential vs Accidental Universals
Students sometimes assume an accidental attribute must be short-lived. That is not the definition here. The decisive criterion is whether the property lies outside the essence.
A person may remain learned throughout life; 'learned' is nonetheless external to the essence of humanity.
The textbook also treats 'capable of laughter' as accidental without reducing it to a momentary state.
Thus accidental is not synonymous with fleeting.