トマス・アクィナスにおける《レス》と《エッセンチア》について

Abstract

In the philosophy of Aquinas, "res" and "essentia" have an intimate relation in meaning. ln this articie, the author tried to clarify, as far as possible, the meaning relationship of these two words. For this purpose, he examined the meaning of a Greek word „ούσία", from which the Latin word "essentia" has been translated, and discovered in it a sense of "realitas". Thus, the examination of the meaning relationship of the words "ούσία", "essentia", and "res" leads the author to the following conclusion : According to Aquinas, "essentia" has two mornents of meaning; that is, "quiditas" and "realitas". ln the former sense of the word, "essentia" ls referred to "ratio", which is signified by the definition of a thing. ln the latter sense of the word, however, it is referred to .res", because the word "essentia" as a translation of "ούσία", has a meaning of reality in its widest sense.