Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: The Ontological and Psychological Constitution of Christ

Titel: The Ontological and Psychological Constitution of Christ

Stichwort: Person (Elemente d. Definition); Natur -> Ziel: Washeit des Seienden (Quidditas entis): ens per essentiam - ens per participationem (in metaphysischer u. "kognitionaler" Fromulierung) ; quidditatives - analoges Verstehen

Kurzinhalt: The quiddity of being is that by which, when understood, being in its totality is understood. That quiddity is the divine essence itself... with respect to quiddity being is divided in two ways.
First, it is divided into being by essence and being by ...

Textausschnitt: PART 1. The Notion of Person

1/1 Since a person is a distinct being subsisting in an intellectual nature, we must first speak of an intellectual nature both from the side of the object toward which this nature tends (§ 1, Being) and from the side of the subject who easily falls short of so lofty an aim (§ 2, Existenz). (9; Fs)

Lateinischer Text, Anfang oben: Cum persona sit subsistens distinctum in natura intellectuali ...

2/1 Next, since a subsistent being is one in the strictest sense of the word, we shall deal with the notion of 'one' (§ 3) and with the notion of 'subsistent' (§ 4), so that we may then go on to deal with the notion of 'distinct subsistent' or 'supposit' (§ 5) and with the formality of 'person' (§ 6). (9; Fs)

1 Being

3/1 With regard to being, three points are to be treated: the quiddity of being [1-2], the intention of being [3-4], and the extension or denotation of being [5]. (9; Fs)

1-2 Quiddity of being (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) (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)