Stichwort: Wesen, Wesenheit

Autor, Quelle: Thomas, Aquin von, Über Seiendes und Wesenheit

Titel: Wesen, Wesenheit - Ursächlichkeit

Index: Wesen, Wesenheit, ousia, essentia (Verbalsubstantive von einai, esse), Sosein (quod quid erat esse, to ti en einai), Natur, Washeit (quiditas), Definition, Natur

Kurzinhalt: Das griechische Wort ousia und das lateinische essentia bezeichnen ... den Inbegriff des Seienden (die 'Seiendheit') in seiner Ursächlichkeit. Dies bringen auch die gleichwertigen Benennungen 'Washeit', 'Sosein' und 'Natur' zum Ausdruck: Washeit ...

Text: 2 Die Wesenheit eines jeden Dinges ist das, wodurch es erkennbar sowie von der Art ist, wie es ist, und wodurch es Seiendes genannt wird1. Das griechische Wort ousia und das lateinische essentia bezeichnen, als Verbalsubstantive (des Partizips) von Sein: einai, esse, den Inbegriff des Seienden (die 'Seiendheit') in seiner Ursächlichkeit. Dies bringen auch die gleichwertigen Benennungen 'Washeit', 'Sosein' und 'Natur' zum Ausdruck: Washeit (quiditas) heißt die Wesenheit eines Dinges, weil sie Gegenstand seiner Definition ist, Sosein (quod quid erat esse, to ti en einai) wiederum, weil sie das Sein in seiner Art bestimmt, mit dem sie unlöslich verbunden ist. Mit Natur (natura, physis) aber wird die Ursächlichkeit im Ding bezeichnet nach den vier Ursachen: Materie-, Form-, Wirk- und Zweckursache2, vornehmlich nach den zwei letztgenannten, wodurch das Ding tätig ist und wirkt. (XXIIf; Fs; tblStw: Wesen)

3 Mit diesen Benennungen wird nicht nur die Wesenheit in den materiellen Substanzen bezeichnet, sondern auch die in den immateriellen. In beiden Substanz-Gattungen besteht der Unterschied zwischen Seiendem und Wesenheit in der Weise, daß das Seiende mehr einschließt als nur die Ursache(n) bzw. die Wesenheit; denn es enthält auch Nicht-Wesentliches und Verursachtes. Die Wesenheit verhält sich also zum Seienden wie ein Teil zum Ganzen3. (XXIII; Fs)

Stichwort: Wesen, Wesenheit

Autor, Quelle: Thomas, Aquin von, Joseph Bobik, Aquinas on Being and Essence

Titel: Wesen: Prinzip d. unabhängigen Existenz, P. d. Wissbarkeit

Index: Wesen: Prinzip d. unabhängigen Existenz, P. d. Wissbarkeit

Kurzinhalt: Essence, thus, is simultaneously that in things whereby things are there and whereby they are knowable. If things were not there, then they could not cause us to know them; the source of their being there is the source of their causing us to know them ...

Text: 9a This can perhaps be made clearer if one considers in some way, at this point, what the word "essence" means (more will be said below). Whatever else it means, it means a certain quality with a twofold aspect: (1) that within things by which things exist independently of our knowing that they exist—i.e., a principle of independent existence—and (2) that within things by which things cause us to know them, i.e., a principle of knowability. We have already in some way expressed this idea above (see page 4; also page 6) in attempting to give a clear meaning to the expression "something-there" as representing the intellect's first concept: something different from us and confronting us (this is rooted in essence as principle of independent existence), something doing things to our senses (this is rooted in essence as principle of knowability). Essence, thus, is simultaneously that in things whereby things are there and whereby they are knowable. If things were not there, then they could not cause us to know them; the source of their being there is the source of their causing us to know them; this source is called essence. To be sure, things which are not there can be known; but only in terms of something other than themselves, only in terms of things which are there. And this in a way similar to the way in which sight grasps color by virtue of light, but light by virtue of nothing other than light itself. Essence can be described as being related to the human intellect as light is to sight; and what has essence is grasped by the intellect in the way in which what emits light is grasped by sight. (Fs; tblStw: Beispiele) (notabene)

Stichwort: Wesen, Wesenheit

Autor, Quelle: Lonergan, Bernard J.F., The Ontological and Psychological Constitution of Christ

Titel: Wesen - Quiddity

Index: Definition: Wesen

Kurzinhalt: 1 The quiddity of being is that by which, when understood, being in its totality is understood. That quiddity is the divine essence itself.

Text: Quiddity of being [1-2] (eü)

1 The quiddity of being is that by which, when understood, being in its totality is understood. That quiddity is the divine essence itself. (9; Fs; tblStw: Wesen) (notabene)

4/1 For, once the divine essence is understood, (1) some being is understood, since this essence is identified with 'to be,' and (2) being is understood in its totality, both because God by comprehending the divine essence understands perfectly every being whatsoever, and because the blessed in heaven seeing God's essence behold both God and other beings in God in proportion to the perfection of the vision they possess.1 (9; Fs)

5/1 But when you understand any finite essence, you do not understand being. For a finite essence does not include 'to be.' Accordingly, if you understand a finite essence, you do not understand 'to be'; and if you do not understand 'to be,' you do not understand being. Again, when you understand a finite essence, you apprehend merely properties that are hypothetical or that are abstracted from 'to be.'2 (11; Fs)

2 Thus, with respect to quiddity being is divided in two ways.

First, it is divided into being by essence and being by participation.
6/1 Being by essence is being whose essence is its own 'to be'; or, to put it in cognitional terms, it is being through the understanding of whose essence being is understood in its totality. (11; Fs) (notabene)

Being by participation is being whose essence is not its own 'to be'; in cognitional terms, it is being through the understanding of whose essence you do not understand being but apprehend only the hypothetical properties derived from its essence. (notabene)

7/1 Another division is into being known quidditatively and being known analogously.
Being known quidditatively is being as known through the mediation of an understanding of the divine essence.

Being known analogously is being as known through understanding finite essences and comparing them with the 'to be' received in them.3 (11; Fs)