dis2@houxm.UUCP (A.NESTOR) (04/12/84)
The recent remarks on the net concerning St.Thomas on Faith and Reason went astray because of the failure to distinguish between Faith and Grace as St. Thomas does. In addition, Faith was conceived of in a manner owing more to Franciscanism, Lutherism, or Calvinism than to Thomism. Note: In the considerably over simplified expostion which follows, I have used the English paraphrases standardised by Adler and Mc Keon for the orignal Latin and Greek terms. This has the advantage of not becloud- ing the expostion with entymological digression and the disadvantage that some of the precision of the thought of St. Thmomas, The Angelic Doctor, is lost. The English terms are capitalised throughout. St. Thomas divides Philsophy into to two branches: Natural Philosophy: That Philosophy which man can obtain in time through his own nature and efforts. Divine Philosophy: That subsequent Philosophy which man obtains in time through supernatural (divine) intervention. In the essentials of Natural Philosophy and the basis of Divine Philo- sophy, St Thomas follows Aristotle, "The Philosoper" of the Summa theologica and the Summa contra gentiles. St. Thomas accepts as fun- damental to both Philosophies the Aristotelean fundamentals, including the Four Causes, Logic, and the rational distinction between Form and Content. St. Thomas maintains the following tenets of Natural Philosophy: Man is distinguished by four attributes: 1. Man is a Reasoning (thinking) animal. 2. Man is a Social (political) animal. 3. Man is an Acting (doing) animal. 4. Man is a Making (creative) animal. Philosphy is divided by its Final Causes into three distinct Principal branches: Pure Philosophy The Final Cause of Pure Philosophy is Knowledge of the Truth by Reason. Pure Philosophy is appropriate to man by his Reasonable nature. Knowledge is of two successive forms: a. True Opinion wherein the Reason comprehends Truth. b. Wisdom wherein the Reason also comprehends the Final Cause of Truth. Metaphysics, the Knowledge of Truth outside Time and Matter, is the highest branch of Pure Philosophy. Practical Philosphy The Final Cause of Practical Philosophy is Action. Practical Philosophy is appropriate to man by his Social and Acting Natures. Practical Philosophy has two branches, Politics whose Final Cause is Right Action for all men and Ethics whose Final Cause is Right Action by individual men. Productive Philosophy The Final Cause of Productive Philosophy is Made Objects. The chief branch of Productive Philosophy is Aesthetics whose Final Cause is the art of making beautiful things. In brief, St.Thomas, agrees with Aristotle, that the True, The Good, and the Beautiful are distinct. Faith: St. Thomas holds that Pure (Natural) Philosophy can and has gained Knowledge of the Truth and could in time Know all Truth including the Truth of Divine Philosophy using Reason alone. However, this knowledge would be largely True Opinion and only possible to a few men after a long period of time. Since the Truth would only be know to a few , the Social and Acting Natures of man are thereby compromised. Accordingly, God, the Unmoved Mover of Pure Form, lovingly gives man the capacity of Faith whereby True Opinion or Wisdom of the Truth of Pure Divine Philosophy (Theology) can be obtained by all men. The Truth of Divine Philosophy known by Faith extends and illuminates the Truth of Natural Philosophy known by Reason. Faith is an extension of Reason, i.e. it is a rational capacity. Faith as an emotional or mystical state of inspiration is a concept most sucessfully expounded by St. Francis. While this notion of Faith continues to enjoy wide popularity, is quite foreign to St. Thomas and other Doctors and Patrisitic writers. Faith as a uniquely, indivi- daul, divine, capacity given as a sign of the favour of God was most sucessfully expouned by Calvin. This notion is explicitly rejected by St. Thomas because it violates the social nature of man. Faith as an attribute of the Will from which salvation and righteousness proceed was most sucessfully expounded by Luther following St. Augustine, a Platonist. This concept is also rejected by St. Thomas. He regards, following Aristotle, that Pure Philosophy and Practical Philosophy are distinct with no necessary connection. Grace: Exactly as Faith is the rational agent for True Option and Wisdom of Theology, Grace is the moral agent for Pure Divine Practical Philoso- phy (Moral Theology). Grace is the capacity given for man to Right Social and Individual Action. Grace, both Prevenient and Venient, is the extension of Polity and Good Will whereby society and men act rightly. Creighton Clarke HO 3M-337 201-949-1538 sdcsvax!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxl!houxm!dis2