ESSENCE AND EXISTENCE

(A reflection paper based on the interview with Norris Clarke in

his "A Taste of Existence")

In this interview with Norris Clarke, a prominent Thomist of our time, I discover something which is very new for me - the question of Metaphysics of St. Thomas.

As a student of Thomistic philosophy, most of the time, I am caught in the bush of distinctions of beings, that sometimes, I would prefer to think about something unintegrally. In other words, I still find it hard to come to a point wherein I can make my own personal summary of Thomism. Hence, I tried my best to integrate all the principles I learn in Thomism and to have a principle on way how to study about these principles.

Thanks to the scholastic interview with Fr. Norris Clarke (the interview with Fr. Clarke is documented in a film)! I was really enlightened on the some notions which are under the scope in Metaphysics. About the topic he discussed, what interests me most is when he tackled the notions of Essence and Existence. He said, existence is much greater in metaphysical understanding than Essence. In fact, Essence is under the 'umbrella' of Existence. He also said that all things in the universe have the same or common existence. Yet, what differentiated us from one another is our particular essences. Essence is the reduction from the fullness of existence.

If a being exists in this way, then it may be a dog. If it exists particularly in this or that, it may be a plant or a man. Because of this, it dawns on me that all created things do not have fullness of existence. Their individual existences are particularly reduced from the fact that they existed individually and differently from one another. And, to really exist, one must take a particular form. For created beings, existence needs to overshadow a particular essence, thus enabling it to receive a particular form, just before it can actually exist individually. Before receiving existence, the form could be essentially anything (potentiality) until the moment when it became existent. Creature's essences are nothing unless if given existence. This means if a potential essence receives existence, there and then, it is categorized as being. And that comprises the different essences of the vast existing created beings. . Before this happens, essences are only mere potentialities and non - being. On the other hand, existence of a particular created being, must always take a particular essence. It cannot happen that a being just exist and no other else, inasmuch as existence needs essence or vice versa

. However, in the case of God, He takes on no potentiality and no synolon of essence (potentiality) and existence (act), for He is all ACT (This is to be treated in other topic). And therefore, God's essence is not 'coming from', or divided into potency and act. God's Essence is always present since time immemorial. God's Essence is. And He existed in eternity, without time - frame or past and future. Hence, it is objective to say that he is essentially EXISTENT - His essence is His Existence. To exist per se is an act; but to take on particular essence in order to become existing, suggests the principles of potency and act. God's essence defied this principle.

Our existences are only a shared existence of that Existence per se. It would always be a possibility that we cease to be existent, for that is not our nature or essence. Our particular essence once were nothing, until the moment when we exist that we become something.

In this reflection, I got two beautiful ideas to ponder on. First, I was reminded of what Bergson said: "All things are interrelated with one another". I see that there is a grain of truth in it. For if all things come from that existence (as we are only participated being), then how could be a single and seemingly irrelevant thing be out -of-place in this wonderful world of created beings?

The Existence of St. Thomas according to Fr. Clarke interests me a lot, especially the idea that Existence makes the whole universe one.

In my daily encounter with the living world, I sometimes come in contact with those creatures whose importance to man is really hard to discover. These are the biting insects and germ carrier animals. I ask myself: what is the use of all these little flying insects that bite us and even would bring kill many of the our brethren? God's ways are baffling sometimes, especially when it comes to our attempt of knowing why God created such living things. Flies, mosquitoes, ants, beetles that pester us and make us uncomfortable don't contribute something for our good. Are they out-of-place in this human dominated world? Or maybe, is it only the way I perceived them that makes things complicated?

My self-made answer is: no one can really fathom the wisdom of God in creating these 'inferior' creatures. Basing on the metaphysics of Existence, I believe that the existence of these creatures, do have a place in the vastness and the immensity of this universe. It is just that man, at this point in time, does not have the wisdom to grasp these realities yet. It is only God who can do so and who knows where to fill this piece of the jigsaw puzzle of creation into its rightful place.

My second reflection is: man comprehends things in dynamic and progressive way. Even though, at this present point in time, we know nothing or we are too ignorant of these realities, there comes a time when we will be able to perceive things in a more transcendental and unified way.

Moreover, I begin to believe that our existence as human being does not remain stagnant. Rather, it changes dynamically to go farther beyond our human existence and to better our human nature. As long as man act out his existence as man, he will always come to a point of greater transcendence of reality - a reality which is unduly realized at the present.

Fr. Clarke mentioned about "limitations" as the very characteristics of all things that received existence, particularly man. He said: when man is aware of his limitedness, he would always want to shake off that restricted capability and would explore the unlimited reality. Therefore, it takes man to recognize his finity in order to transcend what is beyond his existence. As an example, a man who is not aware he is in prison would not dare find a way to go out from that limited space. But if, on the other hand, he knows of his imprisonment, he would surely yearns his freedom, to be out from the bars. This desire for a sense of freedom is mainly of physical value; it goes deeper and beyond the physical freedom. The freedom spoken here is the ability to go out from "imprisons" man by the fact that he has a limited human existence. And this has to do with the basic element - the knowing power or the consciousness of self and self's environment. Thus, among all those who received limited existence, only man can attain inner freedom or what we call transcendence of existence.

Existence is truly rich in meaning. We act according to our existence. And as often as we act out our own existences, we come to realize that we are not meant to stagnate our nature. If God's essence is HIS EXISTENCE; our human essence is our SELF - TRANSCENDENCE.