Authors/Thomas Aquinas/metaphysics/liber2/lect2

Lecture 2

Latin	English
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 1 Postquam philosophus ostendit qualiter se habet homo ad considerationem veritatis, hic ostendit quod cognitio veritatis maxime ad philosophiam primam pertineat. Et circa hoc duo facit. Primo ostendit, quod ad philosophiam primam maxime pertineat cognitio veritatis. Secundo excludit quamdam falsam opinionem, per quam sua probatio tolleretur, ibi, at vero quod sit principium. Circa primum duo facit. Primo ostendit, quod ad philosophiam primam pertineat cognitio veritatis. Secundo quod maxime ad ipsam pertineat, ibi, nescimus autem verum sine causa et cetera. Haec autem duo ostendit ex duobus, quae supra probata sunt in prooemio libri: scilicet quod sapientia sit non practica, sed speculativa: et quod sit cognoscitiva causarum primarum.	289. Having shown how man is disposed for the study of truth, the Philosopher now shows that the knowledge of truth belongs pre-eminently to first philosophy. Regarding this he does two things... First (290), he shows that knowledge of the truth belongs pre-eminently to first philosophy. Second (290), that it belongs in the highest degree to this science (“But we know a truth”). He proves these two propositions from two things established above in the prologue of this book, i.e., that wisdom is not a practical but a speculative science (53), and that it knows first causes (48).
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 2 Ex primo autem horum sic argumentatur ad primam conclusionem. Theorica, idest speculativa, differt a practica secundum finem: nam finis speculativae est veritas: hoc enim est quod intendit, scilicet veritatis cognitionem. Sed finis practicae est opus, quia etsi practici, hoc est operativi, intendant cognoscere veritatem, quomodo se habeat in aliquibus rebus, non tamen quaerunt eam tamquam ultimum finem. Non enim considerant causam veritatis secundum se et propter se, sed ordinando ad finem operationis, sive applicando ad aliquod determinatum particulare, et ad aliquod determinatum tempus. Si ergo huic coniunxerimus, quod sapientia sive philosophia prima non est practica, sed speculativa, sequetur quod recte debeat dici scientia veritatis.	290. He argues from the first of these to the first conclusion in this way. Theoretical, i.e., speculative, knowledge differs from practical knowledge by its end; for the end of speculative knowledge is truth, because it has knowledge of the truth as its objective. But the end of practical knowledge is action, because, even though “practical men,” i.e., men of action, attempt to understand the truth as it belongs to certain things, they do not seek this as an ultimate end; for they do not consider the cause of truth in and for itself as an end but in relation to action, either by applying it to some definite individual, or to some definite time. Therefore, if we add to the above the fact that wisdom or first philosophy is not practical but speculative, it follows that first philosophy is most fittingly called the science of truth.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 3 Sed quia multae sunt scientiae speculativae, quae veritatem considerant, utpote geometria et arithmetica, fuit necessarium consequenter ostendere, quod philosophia prima maxime consideret veritatem, propter id quod supra ostensum est, scilicet quod est considerativa primarum causarum. Et ideo argumentatur sic. Scientia de vero non habetur nisi per causam: ex quo apparet, quod eorum verorum, de quibus est scientia aliqua, sunt aliquae causae, quae etiam veritatem habent. Non enim potest sciri verum per falsum, sed per aliud verum. Unde et demonstratio, quae facit scientiam, ex veris est, ut dicitur in primo posteriorum.	291. But since there are many speculative sciences, which consider the truth, such as geometry and arithmetic, therefore it was necessary to show that first philosophy considers truth in the highest degree inasmuch as it has been shown above that it considers first causes (48). Hence he argues as follows. We have knowledge of truth only when we know a cause. This is apparent from the fact that the true things about which we have some knowledge have causes which are also true, because we cannot know what is true by knowing what is false, but only by knowing what is true. This is also the reason why demonstration, which causes science, begins with what is true, as is stated in Book I of the Posterior Analytics.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 4 Deinde adiungit quamdam universalem propositionem, quae talis est. Unumquodque inter alia maxime dicitur, ex quo causatur in aliis aliquid univoce praedicatum de eis; sicut ignis est causa caloris in elementatis. Unde, cum calor univoce dicatur et de igne et de elementatis corporibus, sequitur quod ignis sit calidissimus.	292. Then he adds the following universal proposition. When a univocal predicate is applied to several things, in each case that which constitutes the reason for the predication about other things has that attribute in the fullest sense. Thus fire is the cause of heat in compounds. Therefore, since heat is predicated univocally both of fire and of compound bodies, it follows that fire is hottest.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 5 Facit autem mentionem de univocatione, quia quandoque contingit quod effectus non pervenit ad similitudinem causae secundum eamdem rationem speciei, propter excellentiam ipsius causae. Sicut sol est causa caloris in istis inferioribus: non tamen inferiora corpora possunt recipere impressionem solis aut aliorum caelestium corporum secundum eamdem rationem speciei, cum non communicent in materia. Et propter hoc non dicimus solem esse calidissimum sicut ignem, sed dicimus solem esse aliquid amplius quam calidissimum.	293. Now he says “univocal” because sometimes it happens that an effect does not become like its cause, so as to have the same specific nature, because of the excellence of that cause; for example, the sun is the cause of heat in these lower bodies, but the form which these lower bodies receive cannot be of the same specific nature as that possessed by the sun or any of the celestial bodies, since they do not have a common matter. This is why we do not say that the sun is hottest, as we say fire is, but that it is something superior to the hottest.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 6 Nomen autem veritatis non est proprium alicui speciei, sed se habet communiter ad omnia entia. Unde, quia illud quod est causa veritatis, est causa communicans cum effectu in nomine et ratione communi, sequitur quod illud, quod est posterioribus causa ut sint vera, sit verissimum.	294. Now the term truth is not proper to one class of beings only, but is applied universally to all beings. Therefore, since the cause of truth is one having the same name. and intelligible structure as its effect, it follows that whatever causes subsequent things to be true is itself most true.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 7 Ex quo ulterius concludit quod principia eorum, quae sunt semper, scilicet corporum caelestium, necesse est esse verissima. Et hoc duplici ratione. Primo quidem, quia non sunt quandoque vera et quandoque non, et per hoc transcendunt in veritate generabilia et corruptibilia, quae quandoque sunt et quandoque non sunt. Secundo, quia nihil est eis causa, sed ipsa sunt causa essendi aliis. Et per hoc transcendunt in veritate et entitate corpora caelestia: quae etsi sint incorruptibilia, tamen habent causam non solum quantum ad suum moveri, ut quidam opinati sunt, sed etiam quantum ad suum esse, ut hic philosophus expresse dicit.	295. From this he again concludes that the principles of things which always exist, i.e., the celestial bodies, must be most true. He does this for two reasons. First, they are not “sometimes true and sometimes not true,” and therefore surpass the truth of things subject to generation and corruption, which sometimes exist and sometimes do not. Second, these principles have no cause but are the cause of the being of other things. And for this reason they surpass the celestial bodies in truth and in being; and even though the latter are incorruptible, they have a cause not only of their motion, as some men thought, but also of their being, as the Philosopher clearly states in this place.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 8 Et hoc est necessarium: quia necesse est ut omnia composita et participantia, reducantur in ea, quae sunt per essentiam, sicut in causas. Omnia autem corporalia sunt entia in actu, inquantum participant aliquas formas. Unde necesse est substantiam separatam, quae est forma per suam essentiam, corporalis substantiae principium esse.	296. Now this is necessary, because everything that is composite in nature and participates in being must ultimately have as its causes those things which have existence by their very essence. But all corporeal things are actual beings insofar as they participate in certain forms. Therefore a separate substance which is a form by its very essence must be the principle of corporeal substance.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 9 Si ergo huic deductioni adiungamus, quod philosophia prima considerat primas causas, sequitur ut prius habitum est, quod ipsa considerat ea, quae sunt maxime vera. Unde ipsa est maxime scientia veritatis.	297. If we add to this conclusion the fact that first philosophy considers first causes, it then follows, as was said above (291), that first philosophy considers those things which are most true. Consequently this science is pre-eminently the science of truth.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 10 Ex his autem infert quoddam corollarium. Cum enim ita sit, quod ea, quae sunt aliis causa essendi, sint maxime vera, sequitur quod unumquodque sicut se habet ad hoc quod sit, ita etiam se habet ad hoc quod habeat veritatem. Ea enim, quorum esse non semper eodem modo se habet, nec veritas eorum semper manet. Et ea quorum esse habet causam, etiam veritatis causam habent. Et hoc ideo, quia esse rei est causa verae existimationis quam mens habet de re. Verum enim et falsum non est in rebus, sed in mente, ut dicetur in sexto huius.	298. From these conclusions he draws a corollary: since those things which cause the being of other things are true in the highest degree, it follows that each thing is true insofar as it is a being; for things which do not always have being in the same way do not always have truth in the same way, and those which have a cause of their being also have a cause of their truth. The reason for this is that a thing’s being is the cause of any true judgment which the mind makes about a thing; for truth and falsity are not in things but in the mind, as will be said in Book VI (1230) of this work.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 11 Deinde cum dicit at vero removet quoddam, per quod praecedens probatio posset infringi: quae procedebat ex suppositione huius, quod philosophia prima considerat causas primas. Hoc autem tolleretur si causae in infinitum procederent. Tunc enim non essent aliquae primae causae. Unde hoc hic removere intendit: et circa hoc duo facit. Primo proponit intentum. Secundo probat propositum, ibi, mediorum enim extra quae est aliquid et cetera. Dicit ergo primo: palam potest esse ex his, quae dicentur, quod sit aliquod principium esse et veritatis rerum; et quod causae existentium non sunt infinitae, nec procedendo in directum secundum unam aliquam speciem causae, puta in specie causarum efficientium; nec etiam sunt infinitae secundum speciem, ita quod sint infinitae species causarum.	299. He rejects a position that would render the above proof untenable; for this proof proceeded on the supposition that first philosophy considers first causes. But if there were an infinite regress in causes, this proof would be destroyed, for then there would be no first cause. So his aim here is to refute this position. Concerning this he does two things. First (152), he points out what he intends to prove. Second (300, he proceeds to do so. He says, first, that from what has been said it can clearly be shown that there is some [first] principle of the being and truth of things. He states that the causes of existing things are not infinite in number because we cannot proceed to infinity in a series of causes belonging to one and the same class, e.g., the class of, efficient causes. Nor again are causes infinite in species, as though the classes of causes were infinite in number.
lib. 2 l. 2 n. 12 Exponit autem quod dixerat causas infinitas esse in directum. Primo quidem in genere causae materialis. Non enim possibile est procedere in infinitum in hoc, quod aliquid fiat ex aliquo, sicut ex materia, puta ut caro fiat ex terra, terra vero ex aere, aer ex igne, et hoc non stet in aliquo primo, sed procedat in infinitum. Secundo exemplificat in genere causae efficientis; dicens, quod nec possibile est ut causa, quae dicitur unde principium motus, in infinitum procedat: puta cum dicimus hominem moveri ad deponendum vestes ab aere calefacto, aerem vero calefieri a sole, solem vero moveri ab aliquo alio, et hoc in infinitum. Tertio exemplificat in genere causarum finalium; et dicit, quod similiter non potest procedere in infinitum illud quod est cuius causa, scilicet causa finalis; ut si dicamus quod iter sive ambulatio est propter sanitatem, sanitas autem propter felicitatem, felicitas autem propter aliquid, et sic in infinitum. Ultimo facit mentionem de causa formali: et dicit quod similiter non potest procedi in infinitum in hoc quod est quod quid erat esse, idest in causa formali quam significat definitio. Sed exempla praetermittit, quia sunt manifesta, et probatum est in primo posteriorum, quod non proceditur in infinitum in praedicatis, puta quod animal praedicetur de homine in eo quod quid est, et vivum de animali, et sic in infinitum.	300. Then he explains his statement about an infinite number of causes in a series. He does this, first, in regard to the class of material causes. For it is impossible to have an infinite series in the sense that one thing always comes from something else as its matter, e.g., that flesh comes from earth, earth from air, and air from fire, and that this does not terminate in some first entity but goes on to infinity. Second, he gives an example of this in the class of efficient cause. He says that it is impossible to have an infinite series in the class of cause which we define as the source of motion; e.g., when we say that a man is moved to put aside his clothing because the air becomes warm, the air having been heated in turn by the sun, the sun having been moved by something else, and so on to infinity. Third, he gives an example of this in the class of final causes. He says that it is also impossible to proceed to infinity in the case of “the reason for which” something is done, i.e., the final cause; for example, if we were to say that a journey or a walk is undertaken for the sake of health, health for the sake of happiness, happiness for the sake of something else, and so on to infinity. Finally, he mentions the formal cause. He says that it is also impossible to proceed to infinity in the case of the “quiddity,” i.e., the formal cause, which the definition signifies. However, he omits examples because these are evident, and because it was shown in Book I of the Posterior Analytics that it is impossible to proceed to infinity in the matter of predication, as though animal were predicated quidditatively of man, living of animal, and so on to infinity.