Meaning of Essence According to Aquinas

The Meaning of Essence According to Aquinas “…lest ignorance of them give occasion for error, and in order to lay difficulty concerning them, it should be said what ’essence’ and ’being’ mean (Aquinas 31-2).” This statement reflects the fact that essence is a complex theme, therefore, in order to understand the concept of essence, one must first know the definition of essence and also the definition of being. Since the definition of essence is not …

…forever (Aquinas 45).” In separated substances Aquinas makes a hierarchy of the spirits. God is above all as the “first cause”, the intelligences created by God are next, and lastly the human souls. Essence is a form of being. It is defined through being and through its relationship with complex and separated substances. It must have both matter and form except in the case of separated substances such as God, the intelligences and the human soul.