Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: Verbum: Word and Idea in Aquinas

Titel: Verbum: Word and Idea in Aquinas

Stichwort: Warum Formen 2 Arten der Existenz haben: natürlich und intentional: Vollkommenheit als Totalität

Kurzinhalt: Thomist system conceives perfection as totality: if finite things which cannot be the totality ...;

Textausschnitt: There remains a still further step to be taken. Why have forms two different modes of existence, natural or intentional, according to difference in recipients? It is because Thomist system conceives perfection as totality: if finite things which cannot be the totality are somehow to approximate towards perfection which is totality, they must somehow be capable not only of being themselves but also in some manner the others as others; but being themselves is natural existence, and being the others as others is intentional existence. Moreover, if potency and especially matter are the principles of limitation, tying things down to being merely the things they are, it follows that the intentional mode of existence results from the negation of potency and specifically from the negation of matter. It is only in the perspective of such systematic principles that the general theorem `knowledge is by immateriality' can be understood.