De ente et essentia

Contents

De ente et essentia (transl. On Being and Essence) was written by scholastic philosopher and Catholic saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) between approximately 1252 and 1256. It explains the metaphysical relationship between a thing's esse (being), or "whatness", and its essentia (existence), or "is-ness".[1]

The earliest commentary on De ente et essentia was written by Conrad of Prussia before 1323.[2] Other commentators include Armand de Belvézer, Gennadios Scholarios, Gerardus de Monte, John Versor, Jan of Głogów, Thomas Cajetan, Peter Crockaert, Girolamo Contarini and Raphael Riva.[3]

References

  1. 1.Kerr, Gaven. "Aquinas: Metaphysics". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Archived from the original on 10 January 2026. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  2. 2.Joseph Bobik, ed. (1974), The Commentary of Conrad of Prussia on the De Ente et Essentia of St. Thomas Aquinas, Martinus Nijhoff, p. 5.
  3. 3.Joseph Bobik, ed. (1974), The Commentary of Conrad of Prussia on the De Ente et Essentia of St. Thomas Aquinas, Martinus Nijhoff, pp. 7–8.