Thomistic Definitions

[ccmnxc]

I was wondering about the accuracy of all these A-T definitions I came across. For context, it was found in a review of Summa Contra Gentiles. Obviously, these are not super-detailed and technical definitions, but are they passable for a “cheat-sheet?” Also, the author used the story of the Three Little Pigs as an example. Thanks in advance:

Matter, material - what a thing is made of. The matter of the three little pigs’ houses are straw, sticks, and bricks respectively. Contrast with “form”.

Form, formal - how a thing is ordered or arranged. The form of all of the three little pigs’ houses is the same: “house”. Contrast with “matter”.

Prime matter - the stuff out of which all physical objects are ultimately made. While the third little pig’s house has the form of “house” and the matter of “bricks”, “bricks” themselves have a form of “brick” and matter of “earth” (assuming they are earthen bricks), and “earth” itself has a form and matter, and so on. Eventually, this process must end with some matter that is not composed of anything more fundamental. This most fundamental matter is given the name “prime matter”.

Substance, substantial - Ordinarily, matter and form together make a substance. The third little pig’s house is a substance that combines the matter of “bricks” and the form “house”. The possibility of substances which do not ultimately derive from prime matter is an important question (perhaps the important question) of Summa Contra Gentiles.

Sensible - that which is seen, heard, smelt, touched, or tasted. Sometimes this term is used to refer to the sensible qualities themselves (color, sound, etc.) and sometimes to the objects that have those qualities. The little pigs’ houses can be seen, so those houses are sensible objects. Contrast with “intelligible”.

Intelligible - that which is understood but not sensed. We understand “house”, but we cannot see “house”, although we can see the three little pig’s individual houses. Contrast with “sensible”.

Accident, accidental - the qualities of a thing that do not determine what it is. The matter of which the three little pigs’ houses are made is accidental; whether a house is made of straw, sticks, or bricks, it is still a house. Contrast with “essence”.

Essence, essential - the qualities of a thing that make it what it is. That the three little pigs’ houses are places for them to live is essential to those houses; if they couldn’t live in them, they wouldn’t be houses. Contrast with “accidental”.

Quiddity - see “essence”.

Privation - a lack of a quality that would ordinarily be present. It would be a privation if the first little pig could not see, but it is not a privation that his house cannot see.

Act, actual - what a thing is at a particular time. After the first little pig builds his house (but before the wolf blows it down) it is a house in act. Contrast with “potency”.

Potency, potential - what a thing could be, but is not. Before the first little pig builds his house, the straw of which it is to be made is a house in potency. Contrast with “act”.

Motion - sometimes refers specifically to movement in space, at other times to any change in a thing.

Generation - the process of applying form to matter to make a substance. While the first little pig is building his house from straw, the house is in generation. Contrast with “corruption”.

Corruption - the process by which matter loses its form and ceases to be a substance. While the wolf is blowing down the first little pig’s house, the house is in corruption. Contrast with “generation”.

Nature, natural - qualities of a thing or changes to a thing that arise from what it is. It was natural for the sticks of the second little pig’s house to stay where he put them. Contrast with “violent”.

Violent, violence - motion in a thing that is contrary to its nature. When the sticks in the second little pig’s house were blown apart, that change was violent. Contrast with “nature”.

Eternal, eternity - often used to mean not dependent on time; as distinct from an infinite amount of time. “House” is eternal but the pig’s individual houses were not.

Cause - how a thing came to be. The efficient cause of the first little pig’s house was his work in building it. While Aristotle defined four causes: material, efficient, formal, and final, Thomas almost always means the efficient cause when he refers to a thing’s cause.

End - why a thing came to be. The final cause, or end, of the little pigs’ houses were to give them shelter.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

I was wondering about the accuracy of all these A-T definitions I came across. For context, it was found in a review of Summa Contra Gentiles. Obviously, these are not super-detailed and technical definitions, but are they passable for a “cheat-sheet?” Also, the author used the story of the Three Little Pigs as an example. Thanks in advance:

Matter, material - what a thing is made of. The matter of the three little pigs’ houses are straw, sticks, and bricks respectively. Contrast with “form”.

Form, formal - how a thing is ordered or arranged. The form of all of the three little pigs’ houses is the same: “house”. Contrast with “matter”.

Prime matter - the stuff out of which all physical objects are ultimately made. While the third little pig’s house has the form of “house” and the matter of “bricks”, “bricks” themselves have a form of “brick” and matter of “earth” (assuming they are earthen bricks), and “earth” itself has a form and matter, and so on. Eventually, this process must end with some matter that is not composed of anything more fundamental. This most fundamental matter is given the name “prime matter”.

Substance, substantial - Ordinarily, matter and form together make a substance. The third little pig’s house is a substance that combines the matter of “bricks” and the form “house”. The possibility of substances which do not ultimately derive from prime matter is an important question (perhaps the important question) of Summa Contra Gentiles.

Sensible - that which is seen, heard, smelt, touched, or tasted. Sometimes this term is used to refer to the sensible qualities themselves (color, sound, etc.) and sometimes to the objects that have those qualities. The little pigs’ houses can be seen, so those houses are sensible objects. Contrast with “intelligible”.

Intelligible - that which is understood but not sensed. We understand “house”, but we cannot see “house”, although we can see the three little pig’s individual houses. Contrast with “sensible”.

Accident, accidental - the qualities of a thing that do not determine what it is. The matter of which the three little pigs’ houses are made is accidental; whether a house is made of straw, sticks, or bricks, it is still a house. Contrast with “essence”.

Essence, essential - the qualities of a thing that make it what it is. That the three little pigs’ houses are places for them to live is essential to those houses; if they couldn’t live in them, they wouldn’t be houses. Contrast with “accidental”.

Quiddity - see “essence”.

Privation - a lack of a quality that would ordinarily be present. It would be a privation if the first little pig could not see, but it is not a privation that his house cannot see.

Act, actual - what a thing is at a particular time. After the first little pig builds his house (but before the wolf blows it down) it is a house in act. Contrast with “potency”.

Potency, potential - what a thing could be, but is not. Before the first little pig builds his house, the straw of which it is to be made is a house in potency. Contrast with “act”.

Motion - sometimes refers specifically to movement in space, at other times to any change in a thing.

Generation - the process of applying form to matter to make a substance. While the first little pig is building his house from straw, the house is in generation. Contrast with “corruption”.

Corruption - the process by which matter loses its form and ceases to be a substance. While the wolf is blowing down the first little pig’s house, the house is in corruption. Contrast with “generation”.

Nature, natural - qualities of a thing or changes to a thing that arise from what it is. It was natural for the sticks of the second little pig’s house to stay where he put them. Contrast with “violent”.

Violent, violence - motion in a thing that is contrary to its nature. When the sticks in the second little pig’s house were blown apart, that change was violent. Contrast with “nature”.

Eternal, eternity - often used to mean not dependent on time; as distinct from an infinite amount of time. “House” is eternal but the pig’s individual houses were not.

Cause - how a thing came to be. The efficient cause of the first little pig’s house was his work in building it. While Aristotle defined four causes: material, efficient, formal, and final, Thomas almost always means the efficient cause when he refers to a thing’s cause.

End - why a thing came to be. The final cause, or end, of the little pigs’ houses were to give them shelter.

Fine as a mnemonic aid. But you should form more precise definitions for a test. This link may help, it is Thomas Aquinas’ De Principiis Naturae, where he defines such terms himself. I didn’t check to see if he included all your terms but he includes a number of them.

dhspriory.org/thomas/english/DePrincNaturae.htm

Linus2nd

 

[ccmnxc]

Thanks. I’ll look into it.

 

[polytropos]

Not too bad, depending on what you are doing. I would nitpick on a couple points.

Form, formal - how a thing is ordered or arranged. The form of all of the three little pigs’ houses is the same: “house”. Contrast with “matter”.
…
Essence, essential - the qualities of a thing that make it what it is. That the three little pigs’ houses are places for them to live is essential to those houses; if they couldn’t live in them, they wouldn’t be houses. Contrast with “accidental”.

I would resist associating form too much with shape and arrangement. Those are obviously part of it, but it is more the unitive principle of a substance - what actualizes prime matter in such a way to make it specifically what it is, as opposed to something else.

I’d also resist thinking of essence as a list of “qualities.” The quick definition of essence is the “real definition” of a thing as opposed to its “nominal definition.” For instance, you are a human (nominal definition) and your essence is rational animality. The essence, then, refers to what, without which, you would not be you (and in that sense is closely related to form). So an essence is not a bundle of characteristics exactly - in the case of humans, one need just be rational and animal (which is why intelligent life that is not biologically human would be “human” in the metaphysical and redemptive senses).

Prime matter - the stuff out of which all physical objects are ultimately made. While the third little pig’s house has the form of “house” and the matter of “bricks”, “bricks” themselves have a form of “brick” and matter of “earth” (assuming they are earthen bricks), and “earth” itself has a form and matter, and so on. Eventually, this process must end with some matter that is not composed of anything more fundamental. This most fundamental matter is given the name “prime matter”.

It should also be noted that prime matter does not actually exist, since it is pure potentiality. Anything that materially exists would have a form and so might be composed of prime matter, but if that object were to go out of existence, then the matter would have to take on some other form.

Accident, accidental - the qualities of a thing that do not determine what it is. The matter of which the three little pigs’ houses are made is accidental; whether a house is made of straw, sticks, or bricks, it is still a house. Contrast with “essence”.

Accidents can be essential or inessential to a substance. An essential accident (an accident that follows from a substantial form) is called a property in A-T. Properties would be species of accidents.

Motion - sometimes refers specifically to movement in space, at other times to any change in a thing.

I would say that his primary meaning, as it should be construed today, is change. If Aquinas says that a thing is “in motion,” we should read that as the thing “is changing.”