---
title: A Weird "You" in Aristotle
tags: [Quote]
summary: An odd switch to the second person in a juicy Aristotle quote.
---

> The essence of a thing is what the thing is said to be in its own
> right.  For being you is not the same as being a musician, since
> you are not a musician in your own right; hence your essence is
> what you are in your own right.
> (*Metaphysics* Ζ.4)^[Trans. Terence Irwin and Gail Fine in *Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy* (Hackett, 2005).]

This is a strange departure from Aristotle's normal litany of
examples: Socrates, horse, cloak, pale, white etc.  I don't think
much rides on it, but why choose to switch to the second person
here?