History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 260 - Once and for All - Scotus on Being
Sep 11, 2016
The podcast explores the debate surrounding the interpretation of 'being' in 13th-century philosophy. It discusses Avicenna's essence-existence distinction and its adoption by theologians like Aquinas. Language in theology and the analogy used to describe God and creatures are also explored. The chapter discusses the ideas of applying terms to God and the essence-existence distinction. Finally, Henry of Ghent's beliefs on being are examined, including the analogy between God and creatures and the distinction between essence and existence.
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Essence Versus Existence
- Avicenna's essence-existence distinction separates what a thing is from whether it exists.
- This distinction lets philosophers treat essence as neutral about existence, e.g., triangles may be conceived without existing.
Essences Need Causes To Exist
- Avicenna and later scholastics note that essences don't guarantee existence; existence must be conferred by something else.
- This motivates the claim that essence and existence are really distinct in created things.
Divine Being Versus Created Being
- God's essence and existence coincide, so divine being seems different from created being.
- That difference suggests at least two kinds of existence: divine (necessary) and created (contingent).