On Being and Essence
by Thomas Aquinas · De ente et essentia
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 1252-1256
- Era
- Medieval
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Short · 80 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Difficult4 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendOn Being and Essence, translated by Armand MaurerPontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 1968Short, reliable and annotated; the version most tutorials assign.
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A short treatise Aquinas wrote as a young master in Paris for his fellow Dominicans, explaining what the words being and essence mean and how essence is found in material substances, in separate substances such as angels, in God, and in accidents. Its central claim is that in every creature essence and the act of existing are really distinct, while in God alone they are identical. The work is the most compact introduction to Aquinas' metaphysics and draws heavily on Avicenna.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns On Being and Essence are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
