A Primordial Review of Thomas Aquinas’ ‘Entity and Essence’
- December 26, 2018
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Education
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018 | ISSN 2454–6186
A Primordial Review of Thomas Aquinas’ ‘Entity and Essence’
Elvis Omondi Kauka
Department of Educational Foundations, University of Kabianga, Kenya
I. INTRODUCTION
Born in Roccasecca-Italy around 1225, Thomas Aquinas received his early education at the Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassino and began his theological studies at the University of Naples in 1239. He studied the seven liberal arts, namely, the three subjects of the Trivium which included Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric, and the four subjects of the Quadrivium (Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy). In addition, he studied philosophy. Part of his philosophical studies at Naples involved was reading the translation of the newly discovered works of Aristotle and their commentaries by Avicenna and Averroes. He joined the Dominicans Friars, a Roman Catholic mendicant order that laid emphasis on studies, prayers, preaching and teaching. In 1256, Thomas was sent to teach at the University of Paris as a Professor of Theology, an assignment he did for three years before being recalled to Italy by his Dominican Superiors. Back in Italy he taught at the University of Naples (1259-1261), Orvietto (1261-1265) and Rome (1265-1268). Pope St. Pius V declared Aquinas as Doctor of the Church in 1567 and in 1879, Pope Leo XIII through the encyclical Aeterni Patris, upheld Thomas as the supreme model of the Christian philosopher. Aquina’s literary works can be divided into nine literary genera of Theological syntheses like Summa Theologiae, commentaries on important philosophical works, Biblical commentaries, Disputed questions, Works of religious devotion, Academic sermons, Polemical works, letters in answer to requests for expert opinion and Short Philosophical treatises like ‘On the Principles of Nature’ and ‘On Entity and Essence’. This article review ‘On Entity and Essence ‘ as translated by Silvano Borusso(Second Edition), Published by Consolata Institute of Philosophy (Nairobi-Kenya) in 2001.
