Thomas Aquinas’s Arguments in Defense of the Unity of the Substantial Form in Human Being
Thomas Aquinas’s Arguments in Defense of the Unity of the Substantial Form in Human Being

Summary/Abstract: There is widely known disagreement between Thomas Aquinas and John Pecham which concerns the plurality of human being. The problem of unity of form is by Thomas Aquinas related to other issues such as the one (unum), which is a transcendental property of being. Acceptance of plurality of forms – as Aquinas claims – renders the possibility of the unity of being simpliciter. Similarly esse, which by the rational soul is implemented into the wholeness – compositum, must be the only existence of being. When we agree that there are many forms in the structure of human being, and each of them would be responsible for constituting a particular essence respectively, it would be impossible for the genuine creation and perishing of being to happen. For instance, intellectual part would perish, but corporeal, would remain. The entire annihilation of man would take place only when the last form was annihilated, as this form in the first place must have been regarded as the substantial one. The presentation of views and arguments of Thomas Aquinas on the unity of substantial form in human being has been divided into four parts. The first concerns the problem of rational soul as the substantial form. The next regards the question of the matter in the context of a debate on the unity of substantial form. The third concerns the question of creation of man (animatio). The fourth hence, introduces philosophical views of Thomas Aquinas regarding the ontic status of both, the living and dead body of Christ. Although the latter concerns theological issues, it concerns philosophical matters.

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