Thomas Aquinas and Francisco Suárez on Possible Being

Abstract

In this article I consider the problematic that creation ex nihilo presents for Christian metaphysicans’ speculation regarding possible being. I explore Thomas Aquinas’s doctrine of possibility and show that, while he attempts to remain faithful to a metaphysics of creation, encounters a metaphysical difficult when presenting his account in terms of imitation. Suárez, I argue, is mindful of this difficulty and offers a corrective that unites the approaches of Thomas Aquinas as well as that of Duns Scotus. In the end, Suárez offers an original account of possible being that is faithful to the demands of a creation ex nihilo.

Keywords

• possibility
• being
• creation ex nihilo
• aquinas
• suárez