Substantial Form And Essence

Substantial Form and Essence A Tract Book Essay By Anthony J. Fejfar, B.A., J.D., Esq., Coif © Copyright 2007 by Anthony J. Fejfar In Classical Philosophy and Thomism, Essence is contrasted with Esse. Essence is essentially what something is, while Esse is simply that something is. It has been said that in God alone God’s Essence is Esse, that is, To Be. Now, in Critical Thomist philosophy I haven’t really referred to Essence at all, instead I use the concept or metaphysical quiddity of Substantial Form. In Critical Thomism, Essence is defined as Substantial Form. It should be noted, however, that this Essence or Substantial Form is not simply passive, it also has an active component which is Substance. Recall that Substance is Formless Form with Love. Substance is also Absolute Relationality. Additionally, Substantial Form encompasses all substantial forms. This is Aristotelian realism. This is because Substance is the Ultimate Reality Principle or Quiddity. Being is Part Substance, but mainly Form of Form. Being is primarily Ideal, when compared with Substance. Being is the basis for The True, while, Substance is the basis for the Real. Logos mediates between the two. The True and the Real have a Daoist relationship to one another and are never exactly the same. While Being is the basis for Reason, Substantial Form is the basis for Right Reason.