Esse

Origin

From .

Full definition of esse

Noun

1. Essence, essential nature.
• 1788, Emanuel Swedenborg, The Wisdom of Angels Concerning Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, Hence it is that the UniverÅ¿e, which was created from his EÅ¿Å¿e, and which regarded as to UÅ¿es is his Image, obtained theÅ¿e three in all and Å¿ingular the Things appertaining to it.
• 1801, Emanuel Swedenborg, Arcana CÅ“lestia: or, Heavenly Mysteries Contained in the Sacred Scriptures, or Word of the Lord, Manifested and Laid Open, ...that is his proprium, since the esse of the life of man is his will;
• 1824–68, Abraham Jones Le Cras, The Theological Contrast: or, Error Exposed, and Truth Elucidated, Being an Investigation into All the Systems of Religion, Now Propagated in the Whole World, In like manner Christians treading closely on the heels of Jews, notwithstanding all the divine miracles, which accompanied their first establishment, iu order to call them from the Deistical worship of a supreme esse, extended through all space, and to fix them in the exclusive acknowledgement of the one God in a divine human form, are equally guilty of idolatry, in worshipping Gods or persons, that have no real existence.
• 1961, Gerard Smith, Philosophy of Being, Essence is a being by an esse which the essence is. Substance is a being by an esse which the substance is. Ens is a being by an esse which the ens is.
• 2015, Christopher Hughes, Aquinas on Being, Goodness, and God, Agreed, if there are as many esses in an individual as there are forms in that individual, then a plurality of substantial forms in an individual implies a plurality of substantial esses in that individual, just as a plurality of accidental forms in an individual implies a plurality of accidental esses in that individual.