As discussed in the previous Part, by ' abstraction from sense experience ' we do not mean that the intellect is able to single out directly and precisely the Essence of an ontologically comlete thing (though it can intend any formal content, such as a quality). The essence of an ontologically complete thing or being is gradually apprehended as a result of many sensory experiences. But once this is done, we can legitimately speak of an ' abstracted essence ', that is an essence abstracted from its supposit (such as the essence humanity abstracted from Socrates).