Table Of ContentJohn F.X. Knasas
The Preface to Thomistic
Metaphysics
A Contribution. to the Neo-Thomist
Debate on the Start of Metaphysics
1630156
This book intends to break the current impasse in neo-Thomist debate on how to begin
metaphysics. The debate assumes由atmetaphysics starts with a忧创ningconcepts appreciated
as spanning both the material and immaterial orders of reality. Taking inspiration from
Joseph üwens' work in. Aquinas, Knasas questions this assumption and shows that no
philosophical nor textual exig巳ncy岛r由巳assumptionexists. For the entry into metaphysics,
Knasas substitutes simply a judgm巳ntal grasp of the esse of sensible things.
John F. X. Knasas is an associate professor at the C巳nterfor Thomistic Studies, Univ巳rsity
of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas. He is the editor of Jacques Maritain: The Man and His
Metaphysics and has published many articles devoted to contemporary Thomistic concerns.
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American U niversity Studies John F.X. Knasas
1rhe Preface to 1rhomistic
Series V Metaphysics
Philosophy
Vol.106
A Contribution to the Neo-Thomist
Debate on the Start of Metaphysics
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Pnblication Data ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Knasas, John F.X
Thc prdàce to Thomistic metaphysics Selections from "Gilson vs. Maritain: the Start 01' Thomistic Metaphysics," CÐ Copyright 1990,
a contrihution to the neo-Thomist ùebate on the start 01
metaphysic, I John FX. Knasas D血的rCommun口， Vaticano, lta1y. Reprinteù by permission
p. cm.-(Arnerican university stuùies. Scries V.‘
Phi10sophy ;、'01. 106) Selections from "Thomistic Existentialism anù the Silence 01' the Quinquc Viae:‘ CD Copyright 1986,
Incluùcs hibliographical references anù inùcx 刀r儿fodernSchOO!fIlUIl, St. LOllis. Reprintcd by pcrmission
1. Thornists. 2. Neo-Scho1asticism. 3. Metaphysics
1. Title. 11. Scrics Se1ections from "Ad Mcntem Thomae: Does Natura1 Philosophy Provc Goù')," ':D Copyright 1990,
B839.K66 1990 1I0-ùc20 90-35984 Divus刀IOmas， Piacenza, Italy. Reprinted by permission
ISBN 0-8204-1421-2 CIP
ISSN 0739-6392
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Selections from "Immateriality anù Metaphysics," (i) Copyright 1988, Allge!iCllfll, Romc Italy
Reprinted by permission
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吧:' Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., Ncw York 1990
AIl rights rcscrvcd
Reprint or rcprodllction‘ even pa时ially， in all forrns such as microtï1m
> xerography, microfichc, microcard, offset strictly prohibiteù.
Prilltcd ill the Ullitcd Stutcs oIAlI1cn'ca
:七一一一甲一一……一一
=
Dicendum quod obiectum intellectusω ∞mmune quoddam,
scilicct cns et verum, . . . ncc primum obicctum intcllectus nostri
secundum pracsentem statum cst quodlibet ens et vcrum; sed cns
ct verum consideratum in rcbus materialibus . . . ex quibus in
cognitionem omnium aliorum dcvenit.
一 St. Thomas Aquinas, S.T. 1,87,3, ad 1m.
扣fanoseimai arti ir toli
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Contents
Abbreviations
Introduction ……………………………….…_--…---..--…---…---…………………..........
Chaptcr 1 separatio.................................................... 9
Chapter 2 Natural Philosophy.….........…............................... 29
Chaptcr 3 Transccndental Method.........…...............…......... 47
Chaptcr 4 Judgmcnt.................……….......………...................... 71
Chaptcr 5 Ens Commune…….......………….......…........……… 95
Chaptcr 6 Quinque Viae 1..............…....................-............….. 121
Chaptcr 7 Quinque Viae II..................................................... 155
Conclusion ...............................................................…............... 173
Appcndix Gilson vs. Maritain: thc Start of
Thomistic Mctaphysics.........…….......…................ 177
Indcx ……………………..............………-…---…----_--.-.-.-................... 189
-
Abbreviations to Works of Aquinas
c.
G. Summa Contra Gentiles
De Ente. De Ente et Essentia
De Pot. Quaestiones Disputatae de potentia Dei
DeVe.κ Quaestiones Di.伊utataede Veritate
lnde Trin. Commentary on the De Trinitate of Boethius
InPhys. Commentary on the Physics of Aristotle
InSent. Commentary on the Sentences of Pctcr 1ρmbard
Quodl. Quaestiones de Quodlibet
S.T. Summa Theologiae
Introdnction
Somc ycars ago L价 magazinc rcportcd thc latcst scientific ru
minations on cvolution. Onc facct of thc discussion was striking.
Despite rcpcatcd failurc to uncover thc mcchanism of cvolution,
no scicntist questioncd thc fact of cvolution. Though science could
not explain how evolution occurred, no doubt exists that it oc
currcd. Not thc lcast discomfort with evolution as a fact was ap
parent. Ignorancc of the }lOW failcd to entail ignorance of the that.
Obviously what short-circuited any connection was the supposcd
evidence for thc fact of evolution. This data, e.g., fossil evidence in
the geological column, providcd the evolutionist with an island of
tranquility in a sca of ignorancc.
Logically spcaking, thc LiJe article presents an attractive dcvicc
to obviate objcctions. If an 0时cction can bc construed as raising a
how-question, thcn it could bc admittcd without cntaili吨 a rctreat
lrom an assertion that something is so. All that one nccd do is dc
~end the cogency of thc argument for the fact. One's explanations
for the fact may cvcn rcpcatedly fail - as they have done with cvo
lution. Yet this ill-fortu~e need-not count ag~inst thc fact itself.
认'ith this dcvice in mind, Thomists havc pointcd out that many
objections to Aquinas' philosophical positions on God miss th二
mark. The objcctions falsely assumc that Aquinas' inability, real or
~pparent， to answcr ccrtain how-questions prcvcnts him from 叫
mg that God is so and so. A list of such objections can be con
structed from proccss philosopher, David Griffin.1 Aquinas cannot
assert that God is omniscient until hc explains how God's omni
SClence is compatible with worldly contingency. Likewise, Aquinas
cannot say God causes even our interior will acts until he cxnlains
how divine 阳"iity is compatibic with human freedom.hi时
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the distinction bctwccn knowlcdgc-of-thc-fact and knowlcdgc-of
Aquinas cannot say that thc simplc and immutablc God frccly crc
atcs thc world until hc cxplains howa simplc and immutablc naturc the-how, Thomists must make his mctaphysics intclligiblc.
Can thc cnt町 into Thomistic mctaphysics be madc intclligiblc'!
is compatiblc with a frcc dccision. Also, Aquinas cannot say that
Such is thc topic of this book. Though thc cross-firc of nco
God causcs cvcn thc actions of crcaturcs until hc has cxplaincd
Thomist discussion has bccn withcring, it at lcast has clarificd
how onc cffcct can totally comc from two causcs. Finally, Aquinas
things by cstablishing cntrcnchcd positions.η1is rcsult invitcs an
cannot say that God is all good and powcrful until hc cxplains how
other look at thc discussion with hopes of a resolution.It may bc
thcsc attributcs rcconcilc with cvil in God's crcation.
hclpful to tracc this book's coursc out of thc morass of nco
What Griffin forgcts is that likc thc cvolutionist, Aquinas bc
Thomist dcbatc on thc initiation of mctaphysics. Thc skctch also
licvcs that hc has indcpcndcnt conlïrmation of thc facts. Thc
affords the opportunity to dclìnc somc tcrminology that will bc
Thomistic conlïrmation of thcsc divinc facts arc thc philosophical
argumcnts for thcm. Thus, faccd with Griffin's how-qucstions, uscd throughout thc book.
Mv thcsis is that thc start of Thomistic mctaphysics docs not rc
Aquinas could throw his hands in thc air. Actually hc docs not.
quir二 that our conccpts hc apprcciatcd as clcaring thc matcrial or
Aquinas also attcmpts to movc on thc how-qucstions. But thc
dcr. By "conccpts" 1 mcan thc common somcthings thatγc dis
point is that logically hc nccd not cxplain "how" hut mcrcly arguc
cover in groups of particulars. For cxamplc, thc mcaning of "man"
"that." Aquinas docs not havc to answcr all qucstions to answcr
as it is thc something common in thc group compriscd of Tom
any; hc docs not havc to say cvc巧，thing to say somcthing.
Dick, and Harry; thc mcaning of "animal' as it is thc somcthing
Thosc likc Grinïn would bc morc on targct by aiming thcir criti
common in tl盯roup of Fido吨 Flickcr and Flossy. Forωc of cli
cisms at Aquinas' philosophical argumcnts for thc divinc racts.
cussion, 1 choosc to rcfcr to thcsc common somcthings as
Thcy could do this in thc following manncr. A strong indication
cxists that Thomistic philosophical knowlcdgc of God is mctaphysi "commonalitics." Man is a commonality, animal is anothcr COI11-
cal.2 In his commcntary on Bocth山日， De Trinitate、 Aquinas is monality.4
adamant that thc philosophcr studics divinc bcings吨 likc God and By "clcaring thc l11atcrial ordcr" 1 mcan thc ability of thc conccpt
the angcls, only inso[ar as thcy arc thc principlcs or bcing as to be rcalizcd outsidc of mat"crial things, for cxamplc in spiritual
hcing.3 Thc phrasc "bcing as hcing" cxprcsscs the suhjcct mattcr of things. 1n othcr words吨 thc 飞trctιh" or thc commonality is rrom
hodies through non-bodics. In thc Aristotclian tradition most con
mctaphysics. Thc only othcr mcntioncd knowlcdgc or divinc things
cepts lack this ability. Both man and animal arc commonalitics that
is sacrcd thcology. At lcast in this tcxt吨 thcn吨 philosophical knowl
must be rcalizcd as bodics. Y ct somc fcw conccpts posscss this
cdgc or thc divinc is cxclusivcly mctaphysical. But sadly、 thc cnt巧'
ability. Thcsc conccpts can bc rcalizcd in bodics as wcll as apart
into Thomistic mctaphysics SCCI11S an cnigma. In thc 认!orks of
from bodics. Thcy arc commonalitics that span thc matcrial and
Jacqucs Maritain吨 Rcv. Joscph Mar己chal， S.J., Rcv. Joscph Owcns,
immatcrial ordcrs. 认1ith a proviso吨 1 call the ability of thcsc con
C.S.s.R., and natural philosophy Thomists as: Ralph Mclncrny,
ccpts to bc rcalizcd apart from hodics their "immatcriality." Thc
Jamcs Doiιand Rcvs. J amcs 飞N'cishcipl and Thomas C. O'Bricn,
proviso is that thc "immatcriality" of thc conccpts should not bc
O.P., thc 20th ccntu可 has witncsscd massivc and divcrse assaults
taken to mcan th川 thc conccpt can bc rcalizcd only in spriritual
on thc problcm of initiating Thomistic mctaphysics. A prima facie
bcings. A" opcn to rcalization hoth in bodics and spirits, thcsc
casc can bc madc that nonc cscapcs hoth philosophical and
conccpts arc ncithcr matcrial nor immatcrial. Uscd in thcir rcga时，
Thomistic problcms. 1n sum, bcforc Aquinas can avail himsclf of
