Semantics, Metaphysics and Mereology in Aquinas

 

The Inherence Theory of Predication

x is F if and only if (iff) the F-ness of x is actual

Important instances of the foregoing schema

  1. x is a being (ens) iff the act of being (esse) of x is actual (x may be any object)
  2. x is alive (vivens) iff x’s life (vita) is actual
  3. x is animate (animatum) iff the soul (anima) of x is actual
  4. x is sighted iff the sight of x is actual
  5. x is blind iff the blindness of x is actual
  6. x is human iff the humanity of x is actual
  7. x is rational animal iff x’s rationality and animality are actual
  8. x is a body (corpus) iff the corporeity (corporeitas) of x is actual

Metaphysical questions

I.                 How are the items referred to in right-hand-side of 1-3 related?

II.               Can the items referred to in 1-8 be entities or beings in the same sense?

III.             How are the items referred to in 6-8 related to each other?

Mereological questions