On the truth of the Catholic faith = Summa contra Gentiles. Book two: Creation

354 Pages·1956·3.4 MB·English

by  Thomas Aquinas

"Hencfeo,ar c omplestteu doyft hed ivitnreu tthh,e
operatwihoenr eby tahrimena gdsea ndg overnbeyd
Godr emaitnosb ed ealwti th."
-StT.h omaAsq uinas
SummCao ntGrean t-iBloeos'Hvko
Havincgo nsidetrheede xisteanncden aturoef G od in
BookO ne ofO nT heT rutOhfT heC athoFlaiictS ht.,
Thomasi,n B ookT wo,t urnhsi sa ttenttiooc nr eatiaonnd
creaturGeosd,'f sr eedoimn c reatitohne,n aturoef m an,
andp articutlhaeru lnyi toyfs oualn db odyw ithimna n.
Then ecessfiotrty h es tudoyf c reaturesk-ntoowG od
bettetrol, e amda n toa likenoefst sh ed iviwnies domt,o
seats ideer rosrisn,c eer roarbso uctr eatulreeasmd e na way
fromt het rutohff aitbhyb einogp posetdot het ruken owl­
edgeo fG od-ise mphaticsaeltfl oyr tbhy S t.T homasa s
essenttioaa nlu nderstanodfit nhgeu ltimattreu tohn t he
naturoefc reation.
Fromt hipsr elimindairsyc usshieot nh,e nt urndsi rectly
toa studoyf c reatitorne,a toifnt gh es ubjemcatt t.eu rnder
thremea ind ivisiotnhse-b ringifnogr tohf t hingisn to
beingt,h eidri stincatnidoo nr dearn,d fi nalltyh,en ature
ofc reatures.
Herei sC hristtihaonu ghatti tsb este,x plainwiintgh
ratiopnraolf oundannedsc sl artihteyn atuorfec reatuarneds
creatiRoena.d inagn du nderstanBdoionkTg w oo fO nT he
TrutOhfT heC athoFlaiicwt ihl iln evitahbellypl eatdo
theg oaolf a lmla nkind-a knowolfeG dogde- byc ausing
toa riisnem an" ac ertain loifkG eonde'swssi sdom."
.. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ...
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philoIsonrp ehcyye.en athr ehs a,bs e cocmleo aseslsyo ci­
atewdi tthh garto wingo fsg crhoowulhpaoh r asvb ee en
exploarnisdnt gu deyvienargsy p oefct th weo rokfS t.
ThomAaqsu inas.
BorinnD elawhaerr eec,e hiivBseA. d.f rotmh Uen i­
verosifVt iyr gsitnuiada,itt e hdUe n iveorfGs rietnyo ble
inF ranacnerd,e cehiivMse.A d.a tt hUen iveorfTs oi­ty
ronitn'o 3 a8n hdi Psh .iDn1. 9 4A0t.t hUen iveorfs ity
Torohnetso t,u duinedFder rG. e raBl.Pd h elaanEndt i­
ennGei lswohno wsoer aktt hPeo ntiIfincsatli tute of
MediaSetvuadhlia hesas wd o rlda-cwcildaei m.
DrA.n derhsaotsna ugphhti loastoS ptAh.ny s elm's,
XaviUenri veirnNs eiwt y Orleans, Liony ola University
ChicaangNdoo trDea meD.u ritnhgey seea hreswr ,o te
sevebroaowlkh si hcahv bee eanc claaisom uetds tanding
contritbout thileoi ntse roafSt tuT.rh eo maansdh is
teachAimnognDsgr. A. n derwsoornak'rsse BTohnoedf
BeinTgh,eC auosfe BeiAnn gI natnrdo dtuotc htei on
MetaphoyfSs tiT.ch msoa Asq uinas.
Hei asm emboeftr h Aem erican Catholic Philosophical
Assocainahdta iwsor ni tten mfaonpryh ialrotsiocplheisc al
reviHeewi sas.t p resPernotf oefsP shoirl oastMo aprh­y
queUtntiev eTrhsitisrt ayn.s olfBa otoiTkow noo fS CG
iasd istinagdudiistthoTie hodon m ilsittiecr ature.

Sai1nhto maAsq uinas
ON THE TRUTHO F
THE CATHOLIFCA ITH
SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES
BOOKT WO:C REATION
Translawtietdh,a nI ntroducatnidoN no tesb,y
JAMESF .A NDRESON
PROFESOSFOP RH ILOSOPHY
MABQUETTEUN IVERSITY
IMAGE BOOKS
A divisioonf D oubled&a yC ompanyI,n c.
GardenC ityN,e w York
PRINTIHNIGS TORY
ImaBgoeo ekdsi tpiuobnl iFsehberdu1 a96r5 y,
1sptr in.t.i..n.g... .....D..e c.e.m1be9r5,5
LibroafCr oyn grCeastsaC laorNgdo 5.-- 57953
Copyri©g,h1 t59 6b,yD oubl&e Cdoamyp aInnyc,.
Prinitnte hdUe n itSetda tes
Imprimffia FtRuArNC:IC SA RDINA·SL PELLMAN
ArchbiosfNh eowp York
Septe2m9b1,e9 r5 5
COVER BY RONALD CLYNE
TYPOGR APHY BY JOSEPH P. ASCHERL
Contents
PAGE
Introduction 11
Bibliography 21
CHAPTER
1.T hceo nnebcetitownte hefeno llowing considera-
tioannstd h per eceodniensg .29
.2.T hatth e consoifcd reeraaittsuui sroeenffs ou rl
instrouffc atiitohn 30
3·T haktn owloeftd hgneea toufcr ree asteurvrteeoss
desterrorcyoo rnsc eGrondi ng 32
4·T hatthp eh iloasnotdph hteeh re olcoognisaind er
creaitnud rieffsew raeynst 34
5·O rdoefpr r ocedure 36
6.T haitit ps r otpoeG ro dt ob et he sooftu hrec e
beionfog t htehri ngs 36
7·T haatc tpiovweee xirs itnGs o d 38
8.T haGto dp'osw ieHsri ssu bstance 39
ThaGto dp'osw ieHsri asc tion 40
9·
10H.o wp owieasrt tritboGu otde d 41
11T.h asto metihssia noigfGd o di nr elattoci roena -
tures 42
12T.h arte laptrieodnisoc fGa otdei dnr eferteon ce
creatunroretes a eldxloiiy snH t i m 43
5
6 CONTENTS
1-341.H owt haef orreeslaaitdip ornesd icaartee d of
G�
«
1.5 TGhoaidts a lttlho i tnhgcesa uosfe bein4g6
16T.h aGto d brtohuiignnhgttso f breonimon tgh i4n9g
1.7T hactr eaitnsie oimnt ohteniroo crnh ange 54
18H.o wo bjecatgiacoirnnessa tat rieo ns olv5e5d
19T.h aitnc r eantosi uocnc eesxsiisotns 56
20T.h antob odcya piaosbcf lr ee aatcitvieo n 58
21T.h attha eco tcf r eabteilnotgnoG go sad l one6 o
22T.h aGto idos m nipotent 65
2· T3 haGto ddo neosat cb tyn atnuercaels sit6y8
24T.h aGto adc ctosn fotroHm iawsbi lsyd om 71
25H.o w otmhnei pGootidess na ti bde i ntcoa pable
ofc ertthaiinng s 73
2.6T hatthd ei viinnteei lsl cenoconttfi t nloei dm ited
effects 77
27T.h atthd ei vwiinilesl rneostt troicc etretda in
effects 79
2-829H.ow d ueneesnst aiiintsl he pedr oduocft ion
things 79
30H.o wa bsonleuctecesa sni teycx riestatht eiidnn8 g 5s
31T.h aittn ointse c efsocsrra eraytt houa ravelesw ays
existed 91
32A.r gumoeftn htowssh ewo i tshod e montshter ate
woreltde'rfsnr iottmhpy eo ionft viGoedw o9f3
33 A·r gumoetfnh towssh weoi tspohr otvheeet ernity
of wtohrfelr dot mhs et andopfcor ienatt ur9e7s
3·4A rgumteopnr totsvh eeet erontfih wteoy rf lrdo m
thpeo ionvfti etwh meoa fk oifnt ghs i ng 100
35S·o luotfti hofeno reagrogiunmgae nnfidtr sos,ft
thotsaekf ernot mhs et andopfGo oidn t 102
CONTENTS 7
36S.o luottfih oaenr gumpernotsp forsotemhdp e o int
ofv ieowft he tmhaidneg s 106
37S·o luotftih oaenr gumteankftersnot mhp eo ionft
vieowft hmea kionftg h ings 109
38.A rgumbeynw thsis cohm trye t os hotwh athte
worilnsdo ett ernal 12.1
39T·h atthd ei stionftc htiiinonsgno s tt h ree soufl t
chance 115
40T.h amta titnseor tt h fier csatu osfte hd ei stinction
oft hings 118
41T.h aatc ontroafar gieedntotyens so a tc cofuonrt
thdei stionftc htiinogns uo
42.T hatthfi er csatu osfte h dei stionftc htiiinosgn s
notth weo rolfsd e conadgaernyt s 124
4·3T hatth dei stionftc htiiinosngnos c ta usbeyd
somsee conadgaerinynt t rodduicviefnrogsr em s
inmtaot ter u8
44T·h atth dei stionftc htiidnoognesn s oh ta viet s
souirntc hede i veorfms eirtoiyrdt esm erits1 31
4·5T hter fiurecs atu osfteh dei stintchtiinogn1s 3 o6f
46T.h atth pee rfeocftt hiueon ni vreerqsueti hree d
existoefsn ocmieen tellectual c1r93e atures
47T·h aitn telsluebcsttuaaarenlenc deosww ietwdhi l1l4 2.
48T.h aitne tllescutbusathlaa nvfcere eseo dcfoh mo ice
in acting 144
49T·h atthi en tellectiunsao latb osduyb st1a64n ce
50T.h aitn telsluebcsttuaaarnilecm emsa teria19l4
51T.h atth ien telsluebcstutaialsnn o cate material
form 115
p.T haitnc reaitnetde lsluebcsttubaaenlic anengsd ,
whaitds i ffer 15 2
CONTENTS
5·3T haitnc r eiantteedl slueabcnstcttuehaseil ras ec t
and potentiality 155
54T·h atthc eo mpoossfiu tbisoatnnab dne ciienns og t
thsea maes ctohmep oosmfia ttiatonefndro rm1 65
5·5T I1iantt elslueabcnstctaueraiseln corrup1t85i ble
56I.wn h awatay ni n telsluebcstctuaabanneul c n ei ted
tot he body 146
5·7T hpeo sitiocno nocfet rhPunelni ainotogfton h e
inetllescotwuuilatt lhhb eo dy 186
58T.h aitnm anth earrneeo tth rseoeun ltusr,i tive,
sensaintidin vtee,l lective 137
5·9T hamta np'oss siinbtleielns lo etsc etap asruabt-e
stance 177
6oT.I 1maatdne rhiivssep se ncaitfinucor fter ,ot mh e
passbiuvte t,fh rpeoo ms siinbtleel,l ect1 z8
61T.h att htehioicsrso y n ttrota htreey a cohAfir nigs -
ttoi e 191
6zA.g aiAnlsetx aonpdiencrio'onsnc etrhpneoi snsgi -
blietn ellect 139
63.T hatth seo iusnl o at tempearsGa amleennt ,
maintained 197
64T.h ats otiuhnsleo th aar mony 198
65T.h atths eo iunslo atb ody 199
66A.g aitnhsowtshm eoa intthaiatinten l alnesdce tn se
arteh seam e Z01
67A.g aitnhsowtsh eho o tlhda tp otshsieine btlllee ct
itsh iem angaition zoz
68H.o w ianenlt lescutbusactlaab nnet c hefe o romf
thbeo dy Z03
6.9S olutiooftn h aer gumaednvtaasnb coevdoe r dienr
tos how subsctaannbnceeo t
thaatn i ntellectual
unittote hdbe o daysi tfso rm 207