inherencebased

Inherencebased is an adjective used in philosophy and related disciplines to describe theories, analyses, or positions that foreground the notion of inherence—the idea that certain properties or relations essentially inhere in their subjects. An inherencebased account treats a property as something that belongs to an object in virtue of its being a feature of that object, rather than something that exists independently or merely in virtue of external relations.

Inherence concerns the mode of dependence of properties on substances. Inherencebased approaches contrast with extrinsic or relational accounts, which hold that properties depend on external factors, norms, or contexts. Proponents emphasize that attributes such as intrinsic properties or essential features are properties that inhere in the object itself, giving objects their identity and character.

Applications of inherencebased thinking appear in debates about color, mass, and shape as intrinsic properties; discussions of mind–body relationships, where mental states are said to inhere in the brain or body; ethics and value theory, where some defenders argue that values inhere in agents or actions; and ontology, including discussions of how properties categorize objects and natural kinds. The term is often used to contrast internal, essential, or inherent features with relational or contextual factors.

Critics argue that many properties are relational or context-dependent, and that a strictly inherencebased view may overlook the role of relations to objects and environments. The term is used variably across scholastic, analytic, and phenomenological traditions, and may refer to a family of theories rather than a single doctrine.

See also: Inherence, intrinsic property, essentialism, substance theory, property theory.