Abejo

Chapter 2

1. What is the meaning of “a being”? What are its two distinct but inseparable
elements?
 The two separate elements of being are esse and essence. Being is defined
as "that which is." The term esse refers to the act of existing. The word
essence means "kind." "Is it" and "what is it?" are two of the questions posed.

2. How can we reach explicit reflective awareness of the “is” in being? Do all
metaphysical systems agree on this focus on actual existence as the central
core of all real beings?
 The first step is to go deeper into every individual being to identify the most
fundamental level of its act of being, by which it is present in the actual world,
by which it is, which is the most fundamental of all features, on which all
others are founded. It recommends progressively revealing the complete
subject, including all of its qualities.
 The next phase is to follow our thoughts and extend outwards. It must be
aware of all pertinent data. This is about the ultimate social connection and all
we have in common with other people. No, reflective consciousness is not
included in all metaphysical theories. Some words have an implied
equivalent, such as "all."

3. What is meant by the “vocation of human beings” as endowed with intellect

arising from the relation of intellect to being? In what sense can being still
remain a “mystery” for us?
 Being is the ultimate objective of cognition, which is the mind's desire to
know. Being is predisposed to intellectual pursuits. Being is for intellect;
bringing it into the light of consciousness is necessary for its ultimate meaning
and fulfillment. The basic intellectual duty of every mind-enabled being is to
unveil existence, bring it into the light of awareness, and express it in a logos,
or meaningful term. Existence is always a mystery to us since it is always
half-light, half-shadow because we can never fully comprehend any actual
being.

4. Explain the difference between “real being” and “mental being”? Examples of
each? What is the key criterion for our distinguishing between the two?
 A real being is its own intrinsic act of being outside of an idea, whereas
mental is only existent within an idea. Because they are full things, complete
organisms, or substances, are examples of true beings. Mental entities
 include past and future occurrences, as well as the content of dreams. The
way we arrange our experiences to make them understandable is the criterion
for differentiation.

5. Explain the fundamental importance of action as the self-manifestation of

being if we are to have a “universe”? Could there be at least one completely
inactive being?
 What exists is genuine being; it exists by virtue of its intrinsic ability to exist
outside of an idea. The two basic modes of genuine existence are whole and
portion. To take part in something means to be a part of it. The whole entity
existing in itself is complete. A mental existence can only be contained by an
idea. The four primary sections are past and future, dream content,
abstractions, and mental constructions.

6. Finite (all limited, created) real beings go out of themselves to relate

themselves to others through action for two reasons: what are they? Does it
make sense to speak, as Maritain does, of “the intrinsic generosity of being”?
 The first reason is their poverty, limitations, and the constant search for
searching towards a form of “other beings.”
 The second reason is that they are rich in terms of how much degree of
perfection they have.

7. In the philosophical vision of St. Thomas, action is the key to a realist

epistemology, or theory of knowledge. Why? Why can it then be called a
“relational realism”? Why does it also follow from this vantage point that all
our human knowledge of real beings (at least in this life) must be incomplete,
imperfect?
 All activity is inherently essence-structured; it is being's self-revelation.
Relational realism explains how the real world affects us and how we affect it.
These relationships support the necessity for truth, which is the mind's
conformity to reality. All human knowledge is inadequate because no single
action of a finite being can fully express its nature; it must be revealed
gradually. Second, our cognitive reception set has built-in limits beyond which
it is unable to detect what is present.
8. Why in this book do we take the person as the best model for what it means
to be a real being? Compare briefly the ancient, medieval, and modern
approaches to the philosophical study of being.
 The highlighting of "I" has resulted in rich phenomological descriptions in
contemporary philosophy of the inner life of the person as experienced and
lived from within, which the medieval left undeveloped or took for granted.
To take the person as the center of reference and fullest model of what it
means to be is the best corrective for this. It is "I" also embedded in a "We"
 Classic Greek religion has only a little impact on Ancient Greek philosophy,
such as when Plato considers rebirth and the underworld in the Phaedo.
Medieval philosophy, on the other hand, is heavily influenced by the church
and is largely concerned with theological issues. The separation of religion
and reason in modern philosophy, as well as skepticism regarding sensory
knowledge, has resulted in an epistemological crisis of uncertainty.

9. What is the point of choosing interpersonal dialogue as the preferred starting

point for a metaphysical study of being? Why it is especially effective in
refuting Kant’s attempt to block access to any realist theory of knowledge or
metaphysics?
 It quickly transports us to a realm of active reality shared by people who are
just as real as I am, with whom I may connect and whose natures are
exposed in the same experience. It makes no sense to suppose that I am
projecting or constructing the other's reality and message.