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Aquinas on Nature and the Natural: Form and the Scale of 'Esse' – Fr. Raymund Snyder, O.P.

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Sep 30, 2025

Guest

Fr. Raymund Snyder OP

Fr. Raymund Snyder, O.P., a Dominican priest and philosophy expert, dives deep into Aquinas' metaphysical framework. He explores the distinction between essence and esse, highlighting how they shape our understanding of being. Discussing a scalar view of esse, he illustrates how this concept applies to all forms of life—from plants to angels. Raymund also connects Aquinas' ideas to ancient influences, emphasizing the unity of creation and the importance of a single Creator. His insights fuse philosophy with theology in a captivating dialogue.

51:20

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insights

INSIGHT

Essence Versus Esse Distinction

Aquinas distinguishes essence (what a thing is) from esse (the act of being), and treats esse as the most fundamental act.
In creatures essence and esse are really distinct, while God is ipsum esse, being itself.

insights

INSIGHT

The Scale Of Esse

Aquinas integrates Aristotle and Platonic scalar ideas into a unified metaphysics centered on esse.
He calls this a 'scale of esse' where creatures have varying intensities of being.

insights

INSIGHT

Participation And Limitation

In creatures esse is always limited by essence, like gas constrained by a container, though the image is imperfect.
Essence and esse come into being together and are proportionate, not separable building blocks.

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Form and Matter: Nature Best Understood by Form

00:25 • 1min

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Essence and Esse: Distinction in Creatures

01:51 • 2min

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Aquinas' Scalar Vision of Esse

03:41 • 2min

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Sources of Aquinas' Synthesis

05:22 • 4min

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Christian Distinction: God Versus Creatures

09:38 • 2min

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Imagining Esse: Intensities and Participation

11:22 • 5min

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Metaphysical Species and Inequality Among Species

16:33 • 5min

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Being, Life, and Intellect: Fundamental Divisions

21:33 • 3min

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Integrating Platonic Triad with Aristotelian Forms

25:02 • 5min

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Threefold Way to Consider Any Thing

30:01 • 2min

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Applying the Scale: Plants, Animals, Humans, Angels

32:18 • 2min

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Analogical Flexibility of Matter and Form

34:02 • 5min

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Harmony of Creation Reflects Single Creator

39:02 • 3min

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Higher and Lower Natures: Neighboring Continuities

41:32 • 2min

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Ancient Sources on the Unified Order

43:25 • 3min

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Creation as God's Circumlocution and Poetry

46:19 • 3min

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Dante and the Creator as Giver of Forms

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Summa Contra Gentiles

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St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas's Summa Contra Gentiles is a comprehensive work aiming to refute errors of non-Christians using reason and revelation. It systematically addresses philosophical and theological issues, demonstrating the compatibility of faith and reason. The work is divided into four parts, covering God, creation, the human person, and Christ. It's a cornerstone of Thomistic thought, influencing generations of theologians and philosophers. Its impact on Christian apologetics and intellectual history is undeniable. The Summa Contra Gentiles remains a significant resource for understanding Aquinas's approach to philosophical and theological inquiry.

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Metaphysics

Aristotle

Aristotle's Metaphysics is a collection of fourteen books exploring fundamental questions about reality, substance, change, and causality. It delves into the nature of being, exploring concepts like potentiality and actuality, substance and accident, and the relationship between form and matter. This work significantly influenced Western philosophy, shaping metaphysical discussions for centuries. Its complex arguments and profound insights continue to be studied and debated by scholars today, offering a rich understanding of Aristotle's philosophical system.

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Plato

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De Substantiis Separatis

A Treatise on Separate Substances

Thomas Aquinas

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The Divine Names

Dionysius

Pseudo-Dionysius's "The Divine Names" is a Neoplatonic treatise exploring the attributes of God. It uses a mystical approach, emphasizing the transcendence and unknowability of the divine while also attempting to describe God's attributes through analogy. The work profoundly influenced medieval theology and mysticism. It is known for its rich symbolism and its exploration of the relationship between the divine and the created world. "The Divine Names" remains a significant text in the history of Christian mysticism.

Fr. Raymund Snyder explores Thomas Aquinas’s metaphysics of nature, form, and the scale of being, emphasizing the integration of Aristotelian and Neoplatonic traditions and the unique Christian vision of creation, essence, and intellect.

This lecture was given on May 29th, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.

About the Speakers:

Fr. Raymund Snyder, O.P. is the Director of Campus Programs and Evangelization for the Thomistic Institute. He grew up in Wichita, Kansas and studied philosophy and classics at the University of Notre Dame. He entered the Order of Preachers in 2010 and was ordained a priest in 2016. He recently completed a licentiate in philosophy at the Catholic University of America. His academic interests include Metaphysics, Natural Theology, and Neoplatonism.

Keywords: Aristotelianism, Christian Distinction, Creation, Divine Names, Essence and Esse, Metaphysics, Natural Law, Neoplatonism, On the Nature of Man, Scale of Being

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