From Protreptikos Volume 1 Number 2. “Philosophy and Principles : p.18 Essence & Existence ...Essence and Existence: Essence is what a thing is.(12) Essence is also called nature (from nasci -- to be born) to indicate that the essence of a thing is the source of its activities. Essence is called quiddity or whatness (from quid -- what), to show that essence is what we describe when we answer the question what is it?. Existence is the fact that a thing is. It is called the act of being. Existence is the fact that a thing is. This distinction is related to the distinction between necessary and contingent (or possible) being. A necessary being is something that must exist by virtue of its own nature. A contingent being is something that depends upon something else for its existence. There is nothing in the nature or essence of a contingent being that says that it must exist. The Arab philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sinna) reflected philosophically on the meaning of Gods response to Moses question. When Moses asked Him what his name was, He answered I am who am. Avicenna understood this as meaning that God is the Being who must exist, therefore a Necessary Being (Necesse Esse). Other beings in relation to God are merely possible (Possibile Esse), because compared to God they are merely possibilities that may or may not be actualized. Thomas Aquinas draws on this in his third proof for the existence of God.(13) If all the beings we see are contingent, then they can go in and out of existence, and at one time there could have been nothing. We might think that matter remains while things come and go, but we still must ask, is there anything in the nature of matter itself that says it must exist, and the answer is no. There is no reason in matter itself why there should be more of it or less of it, or none at all. If all the things we can see are contingent, there must be a necessary being from which they receive their existence. God is described as a being whose Essence and Existence is one and the same. It is his nature to exist... 12. Aquinas on essence and existence: On Being and Essence (Bourke 152-158). 13. Summa Theologica, q. 1, a. 3 (Stumpf 379 ff). Ref. hyoomik/phi205/arche.htm
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 18:07:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015