Metaphysical Thoughts from the Far Side of the World: Miguel Vi?as, SJ (1642–1718) on the Concept of Being

Salas, Victor

doi:10.5840/acpq2025813320

American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly

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published on August 16, 2025

Victor Salas

https://doi.org/10.5840/acpq2025813320

Metaphysical Thoughts from the Far Side of the World
Miguel Vi?as, SJ (1642–1718) on the Concept of Being

The present essay considers the metaphysical thought of the missionary Jesuit Miguel Vi?as. In particular, I focus on his doctrine of being and argue that his thinking is continuous with a strain of traditional Jesuit metaphysicians (viz., Suárez, Hurtado, and Arriaga) that resolves being in terms of an existential reference. I consider two important objections to my thesis. First, much of Vi?as’s thinking unfolds in terms of possibility which is existentially indifferent. What is more, to the extent that he characterizes that possibility as “intrinsic” to non-existent essences, he seems to betray the notion of a creation ex nihilo. Second, Vi?as makes the claim that a supertranscendental community holds between real being and beings of reason. But such a community is based upon extrinsic cognoscibility, not existence. I show that both objections fail to capture key elements of Vi?as’s project, which remains faithful to the aforementioned Jesuit tradition. Vi?as thus serves as an important conduit through which the metaphysical thinking of the Old World was transmitted to the New.

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