Existence and essence in the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas

Abstract

This research Fundamental Existence in the Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas focuses on investigating the foundations of existence. The question of what constitutes the basis of existence has been the starting point for philosophical brilliance since Thales. The Greeks philosophized existence according to reason alone due to the absence of revelation, yet through the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, they managed to reach the concept of the "unmoved mover" even without knowing its name, essentially, if one may express it, touching the boundaries of the spiritual world (soul, angels, and the Lord) through reason. In medieval philosophy, with the introduction of Christian revelation, human intellect became capable of philosophizing about the spiritual world. Revelation thus revealed the limitations of human reason in comprehending absolute truth. Revelation was a grace from the Lord to humanity to help us understand truth, which is why reason does not contradict revelation; reason comprehends particulars (which carry purpose within themselves), and when these particulars are assembled, they lead to the ultimate purpose-the Lord.This insight comes through understanding the essences within existence. Saint Thomas Aquinas relied on Aristotle's philosophy (the rational method) connecting it with revelation (the method of revelation) to uncover the essences in existence. He proposed that humans are substances composed of matter and soul, with the soul Existence the form of the body.