“Magna est disceptatio tam inter Philosophos quam inter Theologos”. Pererius e la questione della distinzione reale fra essenza ed esistenza

The article analyses in detail, for the first time amongst the philosophical literature on Pererius, the “magna disceptatio” on the distinction, in every creature, between essence and existence as it arises in his work De communibus omnium rerum naturalium principijs et affectionibus. The Jesuit philosopher criticizes the opinion of the Thomists, whom were defending the “distinctio realis” between essence and existence. His reasoning strategy presents seven arguments against the “distinctio realis” and five argued answers to the Thomists’ arguments. The interest of Pererius’ discourse lies, firstly in the application of this centuries-old question on theological issue of transubstantiation (or to be more precise of the species of bread and wine during the transubstantiation) which was a thorny problem of Reformation and Counter-Reformation; secondly, in calling into question the relationship between theThomist’s position and Aquinas’ position about the “distinctio realis” on the basis of affinity of their position with that of Avicenna, expressly criticized by Aquinas.