Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: The Trinune God: Systematics

Titel: The Triune God: Systematics

Stichwort: Natur (Aristoteles, Thomas); N. - übernatüliche Wirklichkeit

Kurzinhalt: Aristode defines nature as the principle of motion and rest in that in which it exists primarily and per se and not by accident.

Textausschnitt: 4 Nature

539b Aristotle defines nature as the principle of motion and rest in that in which it exists primarily and per se and not by accident. Physics, 11, 1, 192b 21-32; In II Phys., lect. 1, ¶5, §289. In this sense, nature is not the thing itself but a principle of a thing, namely, either form or matter, and form more than matter. Ibid. lect. 2. (Fs) (notabene)

St Thomas uses the word 'nature' not only in the Aristotelian sense but also in the sense of essence or substance. Thus, supernatural realities are those that exceed the proportion of a nature, that is, the proportion of a finite substance or essence. See, for example, Summa theologiae, 1-2, q. 110, a. 1 c. (Fs)

539c Concerning the relation of nature (in the Aristotelian sense) to supernatural realities, the following points should be noted. First, '[God] has infused some supernatural forms or qualities by means of which [we] might be gently and readily moved by him to attain eternal good.' Summa theologiae, 1-2, q. no, a. 2 c. Second, between a created intellect and the divine essence there exists a certain proportion of potency to act; thus, ibid. 1, q. 12, a. 1, ad 4m. Third, the nature of this proportion is a vexed question, especially with respect to obediential potency. But the way in which this obediential potency is to be understood depends to a considerable extent on the following notions of active and passive potency. (Fs)