DOI: 10.17072/2078-7898/2017-3-352-357

SIGN AND ESSENCE

Klyetskin Mikhail Vasil’evich
Ph.D. in Philosophy

e-mail: samkoms@mail.ru
ORCID: 0000-0002-2481-7379

Subject of the research — a symbolic expression of entity in consciousness in the form of an essence, and also the process of the development of the concept. Knowing of the essence of things goes through three stages: 1) essence exists as a physical something; 2) as an unconscious (but already existent) essence — «suschest»; 3) as a conscious essence-concept. The article analyzes the relation between concepts of essence, sign, entity, significancy, and suggests praxeological model of their union. The author substantiates the assertion that «suschest» (τὸ τί ἦν εἶναι) is an immediate and initially unconscious thinking of the existing-in-itself things, immediate existence before any knowing, so serving as the basis for such knowing. In addition, we distinguish «suschest» and the thing’s «essence of being» in this way: «essence of being» is the definition of «suschest» — defining the unconscious being of a thing through genus and species difference. On the basis of the analysis, the authors argue that unconscious existential needs break out into actual being, creating a symbolic value image of being, referring to the entity as to the instrument of realizing the need. Interpretation of signs forms the texture of cognition, that is, the established ways of connection and the use of essences.

Keywords: entity, essence, significance, value relation, thing, Aristotle, axiology, practice, truth, being, concept, sign.

References

  1. Metaphysics]. Sobranie sochinenij: v 4 t. [Collected Works: in 4 vols.]. Moscow, Mysl’ Publ., 1975, vol. 1, pp. 64–366.(In Russian).
  2. Aristotle’s metaphysics: in 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970. (In English).
  3. Posterior Analytics]. Sobranie sochinenij: v 4 t. [Collected Works: in 4 vols.]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1978, vol. 2, pp.256(In Russian).
  4. Categories and De Interpretatione / tr. with Notes by J.L. Ackrill. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963. (In English).
  5. Platonis opera: in 5 vols. / ed. by J. Burnet. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1900–1905. (In English).
  6. Akhútin A.V. Antichnye nachala filosofii [Ancient principles of philosophy]. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 2007, 784 p. (In Russian).
  7. Nicomachean Ethics /
  8. The Works of Aristotle: Vol. 1–2. Great Books of Western World. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 1952, vol. 8–9. (In English).

The date of the manuscript receipt 23.04.2017

Please cite this article in English as:

Klyetskin M.V. Sign and essence // Perm University Herald. Series «Philosophy. Psychology. Sociology». 2017. Iss. 3. P.352357. DOI: 10.17072/2078-7898/2017-3-352-357