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Francisco Suárez – Disputationes Metaphysicae

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Disputationes Metaphysicae

Francisco Suárez (5 January 1548–1617 September 25) became one of the most prominent figures in the Jesuit order and a leading philosopher and theologian of the late Scholastic period. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1564 and received his education in Salamanca, where he was deeply influenced by the Scholastic tradition, particularly the works of Thomas Aquinas. Suárez went on to teach theology at various prestigious institutions, including universities in Rome, Alcalá, Salamanca, and Coimbra.

His scholarly work, characterized by rigorous analysis and synthesis of Scholastic thought, culminated in his most famous work, the Disputationes Metaphysicae, published in 1597. This work comprehends all the most-prevalent discussions of metaphysics hi Suárez’s day, and exercised a significant influence on philosophical thought, influencing both Catholic and Protestant traditions. Suárez’s efforts in these metaphysical questions, especially his treatments of being, essence, causation, beings of reason, and relation marked him as a key transitional figure between medieval and modern philosophy.

We have here reproduced the 1861 Vives edition of the Disputationes Metaphysicae (originally in 2 volumes, here in 4) at an affordable cost (under $50, before taxes). Though this is not a critical edition, it serves as a good working copy for the original Latin of Suárez and may prove very useful. We have also made these four volumes available as a free PDF, here. If you can spare a few moments and a few dollars to support our work, please click below to make a donation.

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Division of Volumes

The original Vives edition of the Disputationes Metaphysicae is spread across t.25 and t.26 of Suárez’s Opera Omnia. Here, we have divided these two into four (to fit printing restrictions):

  • Volume I-I (t.25): containing a summary of Aristotle’s Metaphysics and Disputationes 1-13
  • Volume I-II (t.25): containing Disputationes 14-27.
  • Volume II-I (t.26): containing Disputationes 28-41.
  • Volume II-II (t.26): Containing Disputationes 42-54, an Index Rerum, Index Philosophicus, and Index Theologicus.

A detailed table of contents for the distinct disputationes contained in each volume is found below.

disputationes metaphysicae – complete text

DISPUTATIONES METAPHYSICAE 1–13

  1. On the nature of first philosophy or metaphysics (De natura primae philosophiae seu metaphysicae).
  2. On the intelligible rationale of essence or the concept of being (De ratione essentiali seu conceptu entis).
  3. On the passions of being in common and its principles (De passionibus entis in communi et principiis ejus).
  4. On transcendental unity in common (De unitate transcendentali in communi).
  5. On individual unity and of its principle (De unitate individuali, ejusque principio).
  6. On formal and universal unity (De unitate formali et universali).
  7. On the various genera of distinctions (De variis distinctionum).
  8. On truth or the true which is a passion of being (De veritate seu vero quod est passio entis).
  9. On falsity or the false (De falsitate seu falso).
  10. On good or transcendental goodness (De bono seu bonitate transcendentali).
  11. On evil (De malo).
  12. On the causes of being in common (De causis entis in communi).
  13. On the material cause of substance (De materiali causa substantiae).

DISPUTATIONES METAPHYSICAE 14–27

  1. On the material cause of accidents (De causa materiali accidentium).
  2. On the formal substantial cause (De causa formali substantiali).
  3. On the formal accidental cause (De causa formali accidentali).
  4. On the efficient cause in common (De causa efficiente in communi).
  5. On the proximate efficient cause, its causality, and all that is required for causing (De causa proxima efficiente, ejusque causalitate, et omnibus quae ad causandum requirit).
  6. On necessary causes, and free or contingent agents, wherein also are treated fate, fortune, and chance (De causis necessario, et libere seu contingenter agentibus, ubi etiam de fato, fortuna et casu).
  7. On the first efficient cause and its first action, which is creation (De prima causa efficiente, primaque ejus actione, quae est creatio).
  8. On the first efficient cause and another of its actions, which is conservation (De prima causa efficiente, et altera ejus actione, quae est conservatio).
  9. On the first efficient cause and another of its actions, which is cooperation, or concurrence with secondary causes (De prima causa, et alia ejus actione, quae est cooperatio, seu concursus cum causis secundus).
  10. On the final cause in common (De causa finali in communi).
  11. On the final cause or ultimate end (De ultima finali causa, seu ultimo fine).
  12. On the exemplar cause (De causa exemplari).
  13. On the comparison of causes to their effects (De comparatione causarum ad effecta).
  14. On the comparison of causes among themselves (De comparatione causarum inter se).

DISPUTATIONES METAPHYSICAE 28–41

  1. On the division of being into infinite and finite (De divisione entis in infinitum et finitum).
  2. On the first and uncreated being, whether it exists (De primo et increato ente, an sit).
  3. On the first being or God, what He is (De primo ente seu Deo, quid sit).
  4. On the essence and existence of finite being as such, and their distinction (De essentia entis finiti ut tale est, et illius esse, eorumque distinctione).
  5. On the division of created being into substance and accident (De divisione entis creati in substantiam et accidens).
  6. On created substance in common (De substantia creata in communi).
  7. On the first substance or supposit and its distinction from nature (De prima substantia seu supposito, ejusque distinctione a natura).
  8. On created immaterial substance (De immateriali substantia creata).
  9. On material substance in common (De substantia materiali in communi).
  10. On the common rationale and concept of accident (De communi ratione, et conceptu accidentis).
  11. On the comparison of accident to substance (De comparatione accidentis ad substantiam).
  12. On the division of accidents into nine highest genera (De divisione accidentis in novem summa genera).
  13. On continuous quantity (De quantitate continua).
  14. On discrete quantity and the coordination of the category of quantity and its properties (De quantitate discreta, et coordinatione praedicamenti quantitatis et proprietatibus ejus).

DISPUTATIONES METAPHYSICAE 42–54

  1. On quality and the species of it in common (De qualitate et speciebus ejus in communi).
  2. On potency (De potentia).
  3. On habits (De habitibus).
  4. On the contrariety of qualities (De qualitatum contrarietate).
  5. On the intension of qualities (De intensione qualitatum).
  6. On the real relations of created beings (De relationibus realibus creatis).
  7. On action (De actione).
  8. On passion (De passione).
  9. On time and duration in the universe (De quando, et in universum de durationibus).
  10. On place (De ubi).
  11. On posture (De situ).
  12. On habit or possession (De habitu).
  13. On the being of reason (De ente rationis).
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