Analiza i Egzystencja (Mar 2011)
Czy ipsum esse św. Tomasza z Akwinu to istnienie czy egzystencja? (Is ipsum esse of Thomas Aquinas Existence or (Perfection of) Being?)
Abstract
While dealing with the topic that he discovered himself, Thomas had to use the languageof his predecessors and colloquial language too. That is why it is so difficultto spot the originality of his metaphysics of the esse-being. The most deceiving termabout it is existence (to exist), because to exist is far less than to be, viz. to be in thefull perfection of what is real. On the other hand, being completely perfect in a kinddoes not mean the same as being “divine”. Pseudo-Denis had accurately noticed itusing the ambiguous term proballein. For the real being might be regarded as proposedto us by God, and lead us to Him consequently, but might veil Him from usas well. Everything depends on whether we regard esse as the utmost common – theuniversal in Aristotelian sense (revealing the cause, and the Cause eventually), or assomething directly perceived and satisfying our desire of knowledge. The formermeaning allows to put esse as a perfection-end; the latter does not. As we first beholdwhat is imperfect, the utmost perfection of being must be seized at the end ofcognition. That is why only the proofs of existence of God involve seizing the actof being, whereas so-called existential judgments are a myth.
