1. Prime Matter Substantial form Substance (a matter/form unity) Quantity Quality Relation Where When Activity passivity posture Habit or state

2. The whole thing is in potentiality to existence The whole thing must be rendered actually Existent by the Act of Existing (Esse) Quantity Quality Relation Where When Activity passivity posture Habit or state

3. The whole thing is in potentiality to existence The whole thing must be rendered actually Existent by the Act of Existing (Esse) Quantity Quality Relation Where When Activity passivity posture Habit or state The Act of Existing Substance Quantity Quality Relation When Where Posture Action Passivity Habit/State

4. Esse The act of existing Quod Est “What is” Or Essence A Being is a composite of Essence and Existence Act of Existing

5. Nothing moves itself from potentiality to actuality except by something already in actuality Nothing brings itself into existence For a thing to bring itself into existence, it would have to exist before it exists, which is absurd.

6. So, how does a being receive “existence”, or the act of existing? Essence Esse Perhaps an already existing being, whose essence is distinct from its existence? Impossible

7. Why?????????

8. Nature or Essence A thing acts according to the powers of its nature or essence Plants cannot do more than they are able according to the powers of their nature. i.e., plants cannot sense, or think, or run. They can grow, reproduce, and nourish themselves.

9. Can you and I create anything? Absolutely NOT Why Not? Because to create is to bring something into existence from nothing. We can only produce, not create. To produce is to bring something into existence from already existing material. I.e., a desk from already existing wood.

10. Essence or nature Esse Any being whose essence is distinct from its existence cannot create, in the sense of bringing something into being from nothing. They can only produce. So how can we account for the existence of beings?

11. Like produces like. Like begets like. Oak Tree Snake Elephant oak tree snakesnake Elephant

12. Who creates? Who or what imparts the Act of Existing? What is the Agent Cause of the Act of Existing? Esse? We know that like begets like, that is, a thing begets what is of the same nature. We also know that existence is outside of our nature or essence. That is why imparting existence (esse) is outside of our power, or not within our power. We cannot bring something into being from nothing.

13. Hence, there must be a being whose essence is identical to its existence. There must be a being whose essence is to exist. This being’s essence is to exist. And so, since like begets like, this being begets beings. This being alone creates. Essence = Existence Cannot not exist/necessarily exists/always existed Does not have a received existence Is His own Existence Ipsum Esse Subsistens God

14. IPSUM ESSE SUBSISTENS esse

15. IPSUM ESSE SUBSISTENS Beings