The Specificity of Secundum Dici Relations in St. Thomas Aquinas’ Metaphysics

In this article, the author discusses the issue of the understanding of so-called relationes secundum dici in St. Thomas Aquinas’ metaphysical thought. This is a specific type of relations with which commentators and continuators of Aquinas’ philosophy have usually had some difficulties. The very name of the relations – relationes secundum dici – has caused problems, since, at first sight, it indicates that at stake there is just a problem of predication about things (beings) and it has nothing to do with the ontic problem of the beingness of being as such. Until now, there has been no common agreement as to how we should interpret the kind of relations under discussion. And the issue is extremely important, since this is a key element of St. Thomas’ metaphysics, because it is the interpretation of secundum dici relations that the solution of many basic metaphysical questions depends on. In the article, an attempt is made to reach an understanding of secundum dici relations – i.e., the understanding of St. Thomas himself. At the beginning, some of Aquinas’ statements are presented in which he directly speaks about secundum dici relations. Next, the most prominent interpretations of these relations throughout the history of philosophy are sketched. Finally, the author tries to specify how the secundum dici relations should be understood.