The following is a discussion on the Spirituality of the Human Intellect. Several terms are defined and examples given along with arguments to show the human intellect is a spirit (not a body).
Definitions.
Primary matter – The first can be, or potential constitutive principle of corporeal substance, or potential to substantial form. Primary matter lacks all be entitativity. Primary matter (PM) has a natural passive appetite for form as PM is ordered to the reception of form, as can be is order to receive does be. PM is potential to substantial form.
Secondary matter - is body or complete corporeal substance, taken with abstraction from whether it be of this particular species (apple) or of that different species (e.g. water, or zinc). Secondary matter is known only as a complete corporeal substance, and in potency to accidental forms (quantity, quality, relation, place, etc).
Knowledge as an Immanent Act
An immanent act is an act that occurs inside the agent that does the act. For example, nutrition and growth are two immanent acts had inside man. Knowledge is had when the known (tree) is in the knower (man). For knowledge is had when knowledge attains known (tree) as an object. The object attained in knowledge is an object (tree) had inside the knower (man). Therefore, knowledge is an immanent act.
Further, the thing known may not always be present to the knower. Peter knows the tree, but the tree may not always be present to Peter. Peter's knowledge of the tree is then not attained outside himself, but inside himself as an act of the knower. Such an act of knowledge is an immanent act.
Known (tree) Is in Knower (man) for the Knower (man) Has the Form of The Known (tree)
The act of knowledge is an immanent act, whereby the known (tree) is in the knower (man). Each thing is known as the thing is in act. For example, the eye sees the colour red, as the colour is in act as red and not potentially red, or in act as blue. Similarly, the man knows the tree as the tree is in act as tree and not a potential tree, or in act as a dog.
As a thing is in act through the form, then a thing is known in act through the form of the thing known. For example, the tree is in act as a tree. The act of tree as tree is caused by the substantial form of tree, which is tree-ness inside the tree. The tree-ness is a determinative form within the tree that acts as the formal cause of the tree to be a tree, rather than another thing, such as a cat, or dog. When the tree is known by the man, the form of tree is then inside the man. For the form of tree as the determinative form of tree, is also the determinative form of the tree as known as tree within the knower. The form of the known (tree) is in the knower (man), as it is the determinative form of the known (man). The determinative form of tree is then in the man as the known is in the knower to have the form of the known.
The determinative form of the tree is had inside the knower (man). But to know a thing is to have the power of knowledge to act upon the thing known (tree). For to have a power to act upon a thing is the have the thing known as an object of the power. The determinative form of the tree is had inside the knower (man) is then the object of knowledge. The form of tree had inside man is the object of the man's knowledge. But because the tree is the object of the man's knowledge, the tree is not the man, but only the form of tree had inside the man. Therefore, the form of knowledge is the object, inside the knower, which is other than the knower.
Knowledge as an Objective Act
The manners in which Matter has form are exposed to show knowledge is objective.
Matter has form in ways diverse from the manners in which the knower (man) has the form of the known (tree). Matter has form -
Subjectively - the form received becomes the form of the matter and not the form of another thing. For example, the form of heat received into water, becomes the heat of the water and not the heat of steel. The heat received by the water is subject to the water, and not the steel.
Physically - the matter that receives the form is physically changed. For example, the matter of water is physically changed by heat to hot water when the form of heat is received into the water. Also, the contrary form of cold is removed from the water, when the water becomes hot water.
Composed - a union of the matter and form results in a new compound. For example, the union of matter of water with the form of heat results in the compound of hot water, which is neither water, nor heat. The water and heat acts as part of the third compound, as hot water.
The knower has form -
Objectively - the form of the tree in the man is not limited to the man, but is the form that remains also the form of the tree. The subjective reception of heat into the water removes heat as belonging to another (say the stove, or fire), for the heat received into the water is not long the heat of the fire, but the heat of the water alone. However, the act of knowledge has the form of the tree had inside the knower (man), whilst the form of tree also remains belonging to the tree. Or again, when the man knows the heat of iron, the heat known is not the heat of the man, but the heat of the iron. The heat of the iron is then a form of heat had as an object of knowledge.
Above the physical - The form had by the knower (man) is the form of another thing (tree). The man does not become hot or cold when hot or cold are known. For hot and cold remains the hotness and coldness of the thing known and not of the knower. The form had in the knower does not cause any physical change in the knower. Therefore, the form had in the knower is had an a way above the physical, termed the supra physical.
Not composed - The act of knowledge does not cause a compound of the knower and the known. The man who knows the tree does not become a tree-man in the act of knowledge. In fact by the man having the tree as an object of knowledge, the man becomes the tree by knowing the form of tree had in the intellect. Again, for example, if the man knows the heat of the iron, the heat known does not cause a hot man. The heat known causes the man to remain the man, and the heat of the iron to remain the heat of the iron. The heat known does not cause a composite of hot-man. Therefore, knowledge is had in a manner that is not composed, and thereby incompositvely.
Conclusion - As the form of the thing known is had in a manner that is objective and not subjective, not physical and not composed, the act of knowledge is had in a manner that is not material. The act of knowledge is then an act that is immaterial, and thereby spiritual. For that which is spiritual is properly immaterial. For a spirit is that which exists and acts without a material body.
The evidence from experience that knowledge is an act that is both immanent and objective leads to the conclusion that man has a being and an act inside him that is not material, but properly spiritual. The spirituality of man thereby is a consequence of the experience of knowledge, but also saves the immanence and objectivity of knowledge. For without the spiritual reality within man, knowledge is only another act of having form as matter has form.
Immateriality of the Intellect as the Root Cause of Knowledge
A knower is able to have the form of another, whilst the form remains the form of another. A non knower is only able to naturally have its own form and not the form of another. The root cause is the intrinsic reason a thing is a knower. That intrinsic reason is the immateriality of the knower, whereby the knower acts from an intrinsic power that is properly spiritual. Also, the root cause of knowledge is also found on the side of the thing known, whereby the thing known can be raised above the material to the immaterial. The ability of a thing to act beyond the material, as immaterial and free from the individuating bounds of the material is the root cause in things for things to be known.
Immateriality on the side of the knower and the known is the root cause of knowledge. The immateriality of the human intellect, is termed negatively immateriality, whereby the human intellect exists and acts above the material, properly as a spirit. The immateriality on the side of the thing known is the immateriality of the thing as it is raised above the material - eminential immateriality.
Proof of the Spirituality of the Human Intellect.
1. A power which is independent of a corporeal organ is independent of matter with regard to its existence and acts is properly spiritual.
2. The human intellect has nothing corporeal in its own nature.
3. For the human intellect can know all bodies and thereby must not have as its own nature a body.
4. For the intellect is the power whereby the knower becomes the known, whereby the intellect becomes the nature of all bodies.
Defence-
The parts of the above argument are defended.
1) and 2) are explained above in the discussion on the nature of knowledge as an immaterial act.
3) What becomes all bodies is according to its own nature not a body.
For just as water is indifferent to being hot or cold and thereby the nature of water is not hot, nor cold.
For if water’s nature is to be hot, then cold is naturally excluded.
But neither hot nor cold are excluded from water.
Therefore, water’s nature is not determined by hot, nor cold.
Then similarly, the human intellect is indifferent to any body, just as water is indifferent to hot or cold.
Then similarly the human intellect has a nature that is not determined to be any body.
For any particular body to be the nature of the human intellect, the intellect would then exclude all other bodies, like heat as the nature of in water would exclude cold in water.
Therefore, that which can know the natures of all bodies, must have nothing corporeal, in its own nature.
Point 3) may also be defended in accord with the principle of indeterminacy which says – that which can be many is of itself not any of the many that the thing can be. Water can be many temperatures, and water is not of itself a temperature. Clay can be many shapes and is not of itself any particular shape. And likewise the human intellect can be many bodies, and then is not of itself a body.
4) The intellect becomes the nature of all bodies –
The intellect becomes the form of the thing known.
For the knower in the act of knowledge is constituted as regards what it is, inasmuch as the knower is drawn to be what the thing outside the knower is.
And to be constituted as regards what the outside thing is, is to become identified with the thing known.
But to become the form of the thing known is to become the essence of the thing.
For the essence of a thing is that which befits being. For example, an apple has the nature of apple-ness which befits the act to be of the apple.
But being contains all essences.
Therefore, by the intellect knowing the essence of things, it knows being and is able to know all the essences contained by being.
As being contains all essences, then the human intellect can know all essences.
As essences are manifested in bodies, therefore the human intellect can know all bodies.
Conclusion – the spirituality of the human intellect is proven.
A short Proof for the Spirituality of the human Intellect
A supra-organic power is a power that transcends the corporeal order.
The formal object of the human intellect transcends the corporeal order.
For the formal object of the human intellect is abstracted, universal, essence, as understood.
As the universal does not exist in the individual, or corporeal order, then the human intellect has a formal object that transcends the corporeal order.
As the object transcends the corporeal order, then so to the power of the human intellect also transcends the corporeal order.
As do follows be, then the act of the human intellect to know follows upon the being of the human intellect.
As the act of the human intellect attains an object the transcends the corporeal order, the being of the human intellect also transcends the corporeal order.
That which has being and act which transcends the corporeal order exists and acts without a body.
That which exists and acts without a body is properly spiritual. For a spirit is that which exists and acts without a body.
Therefore the human intellect is properly spiritual.
JM
Definitions.
Primary matter – The first can be, or potential constitutive principle of corporeal substance, or potential to substantial form. Primary matter lacks all be entitativity. Primary matter (PM) has a natural passive appetite for form as PM is ordered to the reception of form, as can be is order to receive does be. PM is potential to substantial form.
Secondary matter - is body or complete corporeal substance, taken with abstraction from whether it be of this particular species (apple) or of that different species (e.g. water, or zinc). Secondary matter is known only as a complete corporeal substance, and in potency to accidental forms (quantity, quality, relation, place, etc).
Knowledge as an Immanent Act
An immanent act is an act that occurs inside the agent that does the act. For example, nutrition and growth are two immanent acts had inside man. Knowledge is had when the known (tree) is in the knower (man). For knowledge is had when knowledge attains known (tree) as an object. The object attained in knowledge is an object (tree) had inside the knower (man). Therefore, knowledge is an immanent act.
Further, the thing known may not always be present to the knower. Peter knows the tree, but the tree may not always be present to Peter. Peter's knowledge of the tree is then not attained outside himself, but inside himself as an act of the knower. Such an act of knowledge is an immanent act.
Known (tree) Is in Knower (man) for the Knower (man) Has the Form of The Known (tree)
The act of knowledge is an immanent act, whereby the known (tree) is in the knower (man). Each thing is known as the thing is in act. For example, the eye sees the colour red, as the colour is in act as red and not potentially red, or in act as blue. Similarly, the man knows the tree as the tree is in act as tree and not a potential tree, or in act as a dog.
As a thing is in act through the form, then a thing is known in act through the form of the thing known. For example, the tree is in act as a tree. The act of tree as tree is caused by the substantial form of tree, which is tree-ness inside the tree. The tree-ness is a determinative form within the tree that acts as the formal cause of the tree to be a tree, rather than another thing, such as a cat, or dog. When the tree is known by the man, the form of tree is then inside the man. For the form of tree as the determinative form of tree, is also the determinative form of the tree as known as tree within the knower. The form of the known (tree) is in the knower (man), as it is the determinative form of the known (man). The determinative form of tree is then in the man as the known is in the knower to have the form of the known.
The determinative form of the tree is had inside the knower (man). But to know a thing is to have the power of knowledge to act upon the thing known (tree). For to have a power to act upon a thing is the have the thing known as an object of the power. The determinative form of the tree is had inside the knower (man) is then the object of knowledge. The form of tree had inside man is the object of the man's knowledge. But because the tree is the object of the man's knowledge, the tree is not the man, but only the form of tree had inside the man. Therefore, the form of knowledge is the object, inside the knower, which is other than the knower.
Knowledge as an Objective Act
The manners in which Matter has form are exposed to show knowledge is objective.
Matter has form in ways diverse from the manners in which the knower (man) has the form of the known (tree). Matter has form -
Subjectively - the form received becomes the form of the matter and not the form of another thing. For example, the form of heat received into water, becomes the heat of the water and not the heat of steel. The heat received by the water is subject to the water, and not the steel.
Physically - the matter that receives the form is physically changed. For example, the matter of water is physically changed by heat to hot water when the form of heat is received into the water. Also, the contrary form of cold is removed from the water, when the water becomes hot water.
Composed - a union of the matter and form results in a new compound. For example, the union of matter of water with the form of heat results in the compound of hot water, which is neither water, nor heat. The water and heat acts as part of the third compound, as hot water.
The knower has form -
Objectively - the form of the tree in the man is not limited to the man, but is the form that remains also the form of the tree. The subjective reception of heat into the water removes heat as belonging to another (say the stove, or fire), for the heat received into the water is not long the heat of the fire, but the heat of the water alone. However, the act of knowledge has the form of the tree had inside the knower (man), whilst the form of tree also remains belonging to the tree. Or again, when the man knows the heat of iron, the heat known is not the heat of the man, but the heat of the iron. The heat of the iron is then a form of heat had as an object of knowledge.
Above the physical - The form had by the knower (man) is the form of another thing (tree). The man does not become hot or cold when hot or cold are known. For hot and cold remains the hotness and coldness of the thing known and not of the knower. The form had in the knower does not cause any physical change in the knower. Therefore, the form had in the knower is had an a way above the physical, termed the supra physical.
Not composed - The act of knowledge does not cause a compound of the knower and the known. The man who knows the tree does not become a tree-man in the act of knowledge. In fact by the man having the tree as an object of knowledge, the man becomes the tree by knowing the form of tree had in the intellect. Again, for example, if the man knows the heat of the iron, the heat known does not cause a hot man. The heat known causes the man to remain the man, and the heat of the iron to remain the heat of the iron. The heat known does not cause a composite of hot-man. Therefore, knowledge is had in a manner that is not composed, and thereby incompositvely.
Conclusion - As the form of the thing known is had in a manner that is objective and not subjective, not physical and not composed, the act of knowledge is had in a manner that is not material. The act of knowledge is then an act that is immaterial, and thereby spiritual. For that which is spiritual is properly immaterial. For a spirit is that which exists and acts without a material body.
The evidence from experience that knowledge is an act that is both immanent and objective leads to the conclusion that man has a being and an act inside him that is not material, but properly spiritual. The spirituality of man thereby is a consequence of the experience of knowledge, but also saves the immanence and objectivity of knowledge. For without the spiritual reality within man, knowledge is only another act of having form as matter has form.
Immateriality of the Intellect as the Root Cause of Knowledge
A knower is able to have the form of another, whilst the form remains the form of another. A non knower is only able to naturally have its own form and not the form of another. The root cause is the intrinsic reason a thing is a knower. That intrinsic reason is the immateriality of the knower, whereby the knower acts from an intrinsic power that is properly spiritual. Also, the root cause of knowledge is also found on the side of the thing known, whereby the thing known can be raised above the material to the immaterial. The ability of a thing to act beyond the material, as immaterial and free from the individuating bounds of the material is the root cause in things for things to be known.
Immateriality on the side of the knower and the known is the root cause of knowledge. The immateriality of the human intellect, is termed negatively immateriality, whereby the human intellect exists and acts above the material, properly as a spirit. The immateriality on the side of the thing known is the immateriality of the thing as it is raised above the material - eminential immateriality.
Proof of the Spirituality of the Human Intellect.
1. A power which is independent of a corporeal organ is independent of matter with regard to its existence and acts is properly spiritual.
2. The human intellect has nothing corporeal in its own nature.
3. For the human intellect can know all bodies and thereby must not have as its own nature a body.
4. For the intellect is the power whereby the knower becomes the known, whereby the intellect becomes the nature of all bodies.
Defence-
The parts of the above argument are defended.
1) and 2) are explained above in the discussion on the nature of knowledge as an immaterial act.
3) What becomes all bodies is according to its own nature not a body.
For just as water is indifferent to being hot or cold and thereby the nature of water is not hot, nor cold.
For if water’s nature is to be hot, then cold is naturally excluded.
But neither hot nor cold are excluded from water.
Therefore, water’s nature is not determined by hot, nor cold.
Then similarly, the human intellect is indifferent to any body, just as water is indifferent to hot or cold.
Then similarly the human intellect has a nature that is not determined to be any body.
For any particular body to be the nature of the human intellect, the intellect would then exclude all other bodies, like heat as the nature of in water would exclude cold in water.
Therefore, that which can know the natures of all bodies, must have nothing corporeal, in its own nature.
Point 3) may also be defended in accord with the principle of indeterminacy which says – that which can be many is of itself not any of the many that the thing can be. Water can be many temperatures, and water is not of itself a temperature. Clay can be many shapes and is not of itself any particular shape. And likewise the human intellect can be many bodies, and then is not of itself a body.
4) The intellect becomes the nature of all bodies –
The intellect becomes the form of the thing known.
For the knower in the act of knowledge is constituted as regards what it is, inasmuch as the knower is drawn to be what the thing outside the knower is.
And to be constituted as regards what the outside thing is, is to become identified with the thing known.
But to become the form of the thing known is to become the essence of the thing.
For the essence of a thing is that which befits being. For example, an apple has the nature of apple-ness which befits the act to be of the apple.
But being contains all essences.
Therefore, by the intellect knowing the essence of things, it knows being and is able to know all the essences contained by being.
As being contains all essences, then the human intellect can know all essences.
As essences are manifested in bodies, therefore the human intellect can know all bodies.
Conclusion – the spirituality of the human intellect is proven.
A short Proof for the Spirituality of the human Intellect
A supra-organic power is a power that transcends the corporeal order.
The formal object of the human intellect transcends the corporeal order.
For the formal object of the human intellect is abstracted, universal, essence, as understood.
As the universal does not exist in the individual, or corporeal order, then the human intellect has a formal object that transcends the corporeal order.
As the object transcends the corporeal order, then so to the power of the human intellect also transcends the corporeal order.
As do follows be, then the act of the human intellect to know follows upon the being of the human intellect.
As the act of the human intellect attains an object the transcends the corporeal order, the being of the human intellect also transcends the corporeal order.
That which has being and act which transcends the corporeal order exists and acts without a body.
That which exists and acts without a body is properly spiritual. For a spirit is that which exists and acts without a body.
Therefore the human intellect is properly spiritual.
JM
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