PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES IN HONOR OF The Very Reverend Ignatius Smith, ©. P. Edited by John K. Ryan On 6 by MAN PRESS 3885910. Action Does Not Change the Agent ‘THERE ARE certain propaitions commonly adnited by scho- Insti pilnophers which are dlc forthe unite to ace ‘The mos notable perhaps isthe Artotelan principle that anything ‘moved i moved by tometing ele. Anathes the propa that to llc sever produced ules alli caus act sma. Allied wit these i the most challenging ofall: No ease case, ‘ver changes. And we mean efirien case. T's to the third ofthe ullogy that I wih here to invite the reader's attention, and ask hir indulgence while we ty to owen ‘his Gordian knot. Unlike Alexander, we wil not sever he knot by an appeal to authority, but rather inthe patient way of his teacher, “Atte, we shal endeavor to follow ll the convstions unt the thing i no longer an enigma bat « matic truth that holds to. ‘eter all our reasoning on aural, ‘Teismot our claim that Aristotle anyhereexpicly enaeiated the thes that we are dscusing, though its implied inhi whole ocr on mtion, In fat i & fia to dacver in aty of the ‘lasial sours the exact formations fequently heard in ur dasooms today, such at Cewe at canta non maletur: Case = ‘aus isnot changed, Os, as Father Cofey phe its Atif in ‘so: Action takes place Jn the paint And Canal Mercier stats: Lacion, me corporal) ne modife pint Pagent? The ly duel se goon Phys nd Ply (inal! Aas Cate Mesa unde 1S, sae Gate Bc sn cy Fhe Se sek my * Onto Gat Fea Asn, TR) 2 Se” ‘8 Action Does Not Change the Agent 209 ears St, Ths comes to thie: gens quent agen, nom ‘acii aliguid The agent a8 agent reves nothing; and Fastum Cute: mooetars Kis the patent that ix changed However, the ‘oie ft eto of his commentary onthe thin book of Arise Phycer ie devoted to proving that the mover ini ole of mover doesnot undergo any motion, but thatthe mio ie emtirly in he Patient, He i of coum at par to explain that the motion com ley and unequivocally due tothe mover Tit ere i the dificy that plagues ex, How ean a eause— snd we mean a reature, even a boty produce a change in some= thing eke without iulf changing? We ourselves never act without oat leat we sy-enperiening some change within ws, Doubt- Jes our perpesity & due tothe fact tat odie, ae dnc fom spit do no act except to the serompaniment of some Kad of Dye motion, Hence the activity of which we have the most, trignal and direct experience invelves mation in the very ager fel "Yet when we analyze the phenomenon we see thatthe product of any avy entirely inthe thing acted upon. Tf foot makes fn impesion in thes the produc (the footprint) is altogether inthe sand and nota ali he fot. The action changed the sand, ‘hanged the paint ot She agent. The total fect outside the anne: Ifyou object thatthe rand meanwhile makes some impres Sn on the fot, we atewer tha that i another ation, the action ofthe sand, withthe font a ie patent. ‘The action ofthe foots fn the std; that of the sind int he fot. There, we have adc) “The ection in the pent, ‘We may now fel that we have been ticked into admiting some Kind of contradiction, We prot tht the foot produced the eotprint by is oon mation, Te own motion its action, we sy, fant that is ditincly fm the agent, On eeeton, however, we se that motion doce not of tel really produce anything. A body ean to in motion, and coninee 2, without prodacing anything. Only ‘wen 2 bodys motion opposed, or being dntryed, only then i Ty elle being produced. tthe detreton of its motion mot fe acto, ta ptiote effect of sme ater body reacting on ths ene, Ando the mee local mation of a body traveling freely tdrough space & nether a hing being prodoced, art producing 4 TET, EM 51,250 1: Gone Ge,a0 Philosophical Studies sevhingcomeqcnly the ron cnt be ae actin a Inmet a caste ny ne scythe ba ot” an Agee (and he mans unr ei, besa he pang fh ent) “rot cane ng inne, tetera ony pc sitchen Hee a Poiana condone acy of thyme foe e the mer banc nl pecs tee an ec ia tre er thing. Change ay peed te Fates me whcage Witt beni tn isdn py ake weeny thatthe ate pw ee fore some so ash ‘evi, ma Cia nachoman oe Putin Tn the nope are te fre the aa ane ey, and vey aly Pde th el one Sie ter tna the age Bat eon oe he ace pn i th hn a pA eh ‘sro snap diay: ng hy cp et ther sci hey site hb “Thte ae me age at tar inthe yan tne pnp oh aun’ Ta oe the nnn suas whe sts ets They net ssi anig by wos. T uth on atm ai ak tetpce ye ager, Ta shy te ofc aot edo cme ee ce Ba te San get ht hth cae pe i com acon." The tg gents remanent Soman tom nt tena che ere pot out ht even the the pce agent and pat ae et The cote "ped fon te apres in wh tot see by hey ste san ae te an ae oe bot rere myth The sean cee ted ae tecpve ny. Thy sought Ivng gt 8 Wise Chanel Oya ow sc, tine ie ce Yoig unaired ihe proces Bree i cae saan ‘cet an pat wit cor npn ha ae cat toe hth lta changed eo ne tt ma be Fo 5 ae tnt se ate aid ad ttc ian aie eal oe aR AO FE ES Action Does Not Change the Agent an 2, Boery Effect iin the Patient ‘On the striely metaphysical level the propeton that no cause undergoes change may seem to contradict the principe at only the Prime Mover # unmoved, That would indeed take the {round from under all oar reasoning about cause. But to escape {hae philosophical chan we have simply to remember that the Prime Mover i agent aly and in no sense a patient, not even a ‘patent tothe indisence of inal cau, Of no ober case tha tre All crested eases are pt nt ation by some other ee, a lest by amend here and now tobe tine (On the other hand for ll eats without exception our propos Son, cnsdered analytically, is undeniable. For tony that change Islet the same at saying that no cause a cause can undergo ‘hange. Admiely itis dial to iustrateths frm experience. Both the Stagite and the Aquinate choose the example of the teacher imparting information to the pupil’ In thi proses the teacher not acquiring any information, nor lxng any. Henee be i not being changed. The ppl is acquiring information, iis he that i Deng change Instructing ic Beng done but tis something bing done tothe pupil, nt to the teacher. The cause isnot being ‘hanged. The only one being changed isthe one where the elect i taking place, the pup ‘While al thi irate in elf nevertele on the margin of ones consioumen there lingers a haunting diay. Te tis, ‘The teacher i crtsinly undergoing se moton in imparting the Information, and so be docs net remain unchanged inthe proces. “There are mio involved in speaking, and surely these ae inthe teacher, not in the pupil Very tre. But thee notions are not identical with the inrtracton which the pupil receiving, So fe the teacher i eetng any ratio, only in nt far he doe ing any teaching. The teaching prooeds from the teacher as teacher, without any low oe gain on his pat and it effected in the pupil who i changed by it So if we conser simpy the thing ‘ig done, hen what the agen is doing i identical with what the patient having done to And the thing dane entry in he tient, not at all nthe agen. I a St Thomas aay, fom the ‘agent bt i the patent. And thi rye of all the multdinowaa Philosophical Studier actions and seatons going on inthe worl, All change is fom nother. 3. Created Agents Can Be Known Let ussay that we now accep the proposition tat any tse, in cating, remains unchanged, Nor doce this, as we bave nxn, make every ease an uncaiwed one. That pblowphial chasm we have succeeded in ccaping, But now another aweiotie chasm yawns on the other side, If the whole of every new reay that fomes into extence i inthe patint—none of fin the age’ then the agent seems to have no part init and ie alkogetber sel and unnerewnry, To admit auch a hing would be the death of ‘metaphysics not to sy of commen sense, We cao adit that the gent is simply a neutral onlocker at what is happening t the pa- tent, Ie cannot stand alone in silent grandeur and unmoved while patients perform before st An agent, eat, mite dag some thing ‘Our fist step to escape fom thie chasm is to call tention to the fact thatthe cause isnt indeed doing anything toil, ba 5 doing something tothe paint, a n the tae of the footprint bing formed in sand, In many inances we do not know what particular agen at wrk Ths we are ignorant ofthe cause of ancer or pli. But that were ia cane we have not the slightest Aoubt. Things do not spring into existence of themscves without Aependence an anything es. “A ting inet brought frm potency to act without eme acting cause:"* Hf anything begin to exit sen because some agent is ating there, wheter Wwe are able o ently the agent oF not Tn certain cane, However, we ate able to identity the cause, ‘Let me take the familiar ese my gripping my left hand wth my righ. The prosimate agent sth right hand the patent ithe le. IVam aware thatthe agent exerting the presure under my cone tro. The exertion begins, varies, tops as T wil But thee ao 3 parallel phenomenon. That ir the sentation of pressure in the left hand. Ie bela, vars, stops corepondngy withthe ation ofthe fight Or intead, I may mold» plece of sof wax, or bend twig fof shee of pape, In thi ease the effec nt fel iis only sen, Action Docs Not Change the Agent ag and & taking place in something extemal to-me, In both ces 1 ‘expaience a new thing coming into etence in cxact comespond- fence to my arbitrary exertion, and o am able to ently spel a6 the ease. Is ue tha nth experience the fet exertion ees to be the very cause itl, but sally anything fl is eflect and ct canst. Besides, Team shift my attention from right to let, and do many other such things without experiencing any exertion a¢ all, tnt enly the sheer exer of choice. Hence we ca sy that all do ing Belongs to enue alone, but the thing done i precy eter than the ease Wat profed . Free Causes Important “The appeal we have ust made to personal experience may lead to the euspzin that pepe elicientcatality tr ony of fre Agent I need only answer that involuntary act, uch othe twitch ing of the hand, oan unintentional sing of myself or other abject, produce the same phenomena si the deliberate ac, So I hve experimental evidence of unfree ene, Bot in all truth the quton of fee wil in regard to casality ges very deep, even 0 the very botiom oft all Cansde nly dhs that dhe uneased Cate, fom whiom all other eausality depend by the fact that he i une used a of his own free will IF yous, with Pains, that God, being senally the supreme good, must dfs his goodness and so proce the world, you impen the very goons fo which you Appeals becaie the hight goon ithe wanecetated good, All we ean uy, then, hat if Cod doe difne his oon, he rither fered by anything nor seeking a good fr bine that he flocs not yet poses. The efison i entialy for the sake of thers. ei supremely fe. ‘We may not of coune conchae frm this that ako creatures with free will make their cholo unmoved by anything ouside emacs, or by anything yet unposased. And herein we di ‘em another thest to ot thes that action doesnot change the fagent. We know from our own expeience that we always choose for some motive, for something, at least sme act, tat we do no yet have. And i would sem thatthe very act of chosing changer the wl eel, " cnsiderng thi dificlty we se that although the motive move us ly y or concent, neverdeles, Sith that consent, fea Philosophical Studies fe reason why we move. This dose aot mean that the motive amps the will with an impress and leaves the wll no option bet to act accordingly, ara cjevtprveted tothe eye dors No the ct ofthe will nota mere taking in of anything and everything that is there. Instead, we have presented to us ever motives, and each has its appeal, Because each bs some goo in At the ame time each has tome shortcoming oe drawback. (T am speaking of {Mi ie, where we donot yet pote the suman bon) Tn de sing Wha aes plc, USE dy anon Be ped arin Wie mut take note that given a howe of the geod of things ss ge the aoc he wa tate mad ot ye 3 real chroing, Net, aon Popes vain fo a feble and shows the pos and cos ofeach, We nce at {he wile nctined mow Yo one we now to tec sod at ti ‘fs power to allow itt be moved to rit by pte ae {Son but by abating, nt allowing il o be ined Thee fre the fedoun of the will corel sen to coma ia iis that, tonironted with varius nab-tucstating motes i allows Sell to te mowel by one and ot by the others Since the infoeae hee is that of nal cae and tof ficient, ad since the tem “moved by,” and “patent of” when employed in reference to fal cue, aze taken n'a very broad see, a both St Thomas and Bellarmine admit (Ic), we may put thie partes: lar dict aside forthe moment, s¢ wot dell contravening our thesis 5. No Action Without Substantial Form In fel the choice of the wil not anything that could be ‘measured by the instruments in a prychologal laboratory, sich at reiter the degre of conation. Yet the choice often sets mation tain material fores which can be mearured, Hew the wil dee this has pusledpsjehoogiss no end, At the Beginning of the eee ‘uy we find an eminent one declaring, “Our ifelong experience tires that mind and body do interact, bt how we cannot el” He bows to evidence "That the wal rendomed witha locamosive Gra Libre Arvin i, 9. Oper Oni (Pais Vins 173), 1.1 Sura npg fe 1 ene da at ene iy a ‘Sif al nad Ne des Senay 5, Action Does Not Change the Agent a5 faculty i simply an ulna fact" But there aze a fw mise ceptions too commonly entrained that we shoul del Does he wil, aa spss fac, exert physi fore onthe nerves 9 tem, of nthe mares, ar the hand for example putes aca? 1 would sy cht anyone who yield o an explanation Hike that may thea Platonst but he ie ceraialy not an Aristotelian Matter acy, stu. But we must remember that apart frm sulutamial frm, mater has no over oF ineination to acta al I've ak, Why does any substance ever ac? the answer, because ‘of form. And why does tact this way and not some otber way? ‘Because of frm. The rant form is the origin of every activity ofthe body." And there irony one sbatantal form in each ind ‘Vidal sulstance. In man, that form tthe apirisal soa. Therefore, the whol actty of man chemi, bislgl sextet ation — ji due to one ad the se sul, No thatthe sou ats upon the ‘mater, but by informing the matter it the reson why there ‘any activity in man and why the act e his or that Kind. Fromm the metabaie proces tothe production of the phantasms which supply the material for inelleton, the soul isthe exllecky, the inner maser of all the energies ofthe man. Admitedly, tained Chemists often my thatthe loll operations are “pare chemi try" but they concede thatthe organi i a very specaied Inboratory in which aloe the cerials wil perform as they do here. This tantamount to saying that there ian inner principle of acivit, a sutstatial form inthe body “This phenomenon isnot peeliae to man. Any ataral body, ‘whether mineral, plant or animal, docs two things (1) Hace the infvence offs ruroanding; hat tacts at all due to ie having aruba form and (2) it act a way special to te speci, beng neteal to certain abject and responding to others wrth 3 ran selectivity and lnitaten. his again i de to form, 1 for istance the afinty and valence of chemeal agen, In this eave Se. Thomas ye that "Nature ie aehing ee han he ric ple of motion and termination of matin." But ia no case mst fhe form he thought of an exerting force on the mater it informs, seas to ph thin way or tat TE Mae, Poel New Ye emg, G18), 220,a6 Philosophical Studies Why then should we suppose that the woul exert prestue on ‘he mateal component of man? The two are one being ad ay ‘atrial activity sues fom that ne beng in acne with pe ‘ie mature. To wie siete terminology, the energy is reed, ontrlled, wie, according to the nate of tissue an Tes tre that man's seaon ir often aml by Bungee and pas ‘Sons whore proximate source i the material part of i, But tat material part would have no hunger nor any movement at all ‘were not informed by de same sou hat doe he resoning, How ‘rer much asia writers may emphasize ths sgl, they do ot intend t present man ae really two beings contending spat fe another. Likewise the interactions ofthe various component pars areal prompted by the same soul, sckng the god of the ‘ne individual map. This ax dtc from the Pltone pice, the ue Artoteian concept of na, Tis when we come to case the atin mort characteriic cf man thatthe Arsotctan i likely to waver aan the fre act Irrational sulstanes, having no spiral oe, aways act unfree ‘That i de to thee forms thei forms arent endowed with rem dom, But if the form have the eapacty af freedom, then the sib stance, despite the material eo-prinpl, can exercise choice. And it Usher that we are most tempted to think of the woul ax manipula- Ing the body aes separate instrument forthe execution fe de- “Thee i of couse no intention of denying that crated pure spirit, as an ange, is able to move material mbances But the ge’ action i wanslent, He i nt the form ofthe mater, a8 the Inuman sol i In man the to are ane supp, one peron, Hence we should oe regard the sl a tipping the balance of energy in the brn, ar some have suggested very much as one might tp 4 Single mowlake tp start an wslanche, The Plato concept of Iman is not avoided by reducing the inervenion of the scl toa tiny minimum af tanient activity. No; man, one being, and re cles of wheter we carder hen at the lsel of organic chemi fy, of sense ie or of situa activity, his aces are the fof men, He reat to influence se tan. I sme of hi actione ace lee, in them does he most act ae man. And, since the energie of any body are rene, direct and limite, according tothe cha ‘eraie substantial form of that body, it follows that in the ‘Action Does Not Change the Agent a7 rational substance, man, where deliberate wlton ie most character. ‘a6 “the same Has true MYsteviour fact though it be that lent species act iferenty i an limate fact Al we can say sth it is doe to thee diferent soba nature. 6. How is Free Choice Executed? Last this be an excuse for hating our ingly, let ws se how far we can penetrate the mystery. Nor wil this be a dgrosion, at wil appear shor. We begin, then, with the statement thatthe ‘only genuinely fre faculty in man i his wily thats own sete are sliced; and tht when other powers perform actions in pursuance ofthe wil'schalee they are “commanded” ct inthis presentation ofthe ene there seis to bean appeal to the widely pooh-poahed “aca pychology” wherein each acl 's penonied as an actor ia a drama or a member of lary platoon, Bat we repudiate that charge. We merely speak thi wy for the wake of larity, just ab we ay thatthe ye senor the ea bear, when we are perfeedy aware thi it the man who tc with his eyes ant hears with hi as ster is car with his hand ‘The immediate instruments of his activites are not diene took but actal constituent of the oe invidual person, “lence we must alway keepin min that no iter how mach wwe departmentalize man ia speaking of him, each man ies singe ‘ational suppost «person; a frthermore thatthe only appetite ‘characterise of him as mani hi ational appetite, his wil. To sce what this means let ur quote Belem agin ‘The wl the tendency ofthe we mpesty eve tc in m0 way be foreed, been ie mponblefor i fo wil what do Wil. The stele snd tend to knw all thy butt endony Dot the edency ofthe whol spp Tn 4 soul endowed 9th ‘son the apetie for good enone os than the wk Therefore i he wil at applies eto Ing or recall Ue ‘Gansu de fact hat te inlet at oe Une spelt, a jes, oF dors myehing whatever, tae Ue es tl da othe nlc hl but to the appetite of the whole uppostwehich ‘pete tena oher than the we Here we have precisely described the nus, the oretiechar- acter ofthe one substantial form of man. Just sal natural abject,a8 Philosophical Studies from atoms to animal, act according to thi pei tendeny, so des man. And if we are sll pursed how thi canbe, the tne author comes to ot si Chrize was nota regu forthe knowing acy eases oe tit dows not exude another tty ican wot Stine {ake them ll in and ast to ther all. Cie, theconery, ‘eit for appt, erase good thing ae fen tally ‘he of one another, and cannot be snight cutee > Tose fore he wil bene an appetite it or fede; bau es 1 ralonal appt, by tat wy fact has fee ‘That the will mus he fice i clear, and in the ight of the shove we are in better positon to understand how man can = fete the eee of his wil, “Although” a8 we readin the same ‘hapter, “other powers baides the will are capable of ee act thes acts of thes are not fee as proceeding from thee powers emacs, but as proceeding fromthe il, by whieh hey ate role” I we push our inguiy further and ak, How precely does (he wil gett decion exceed? we are realy aking, How dows rman act as one being, and nota several being? Or how dos ny rataral unitary sytem, a an anima gee various power to co- ‘pert in sein gol? must not be thought dt only man has dificis in ‘cating his deren Bote animal to, ftequelly experience a struggle. But that is due to conicting external appeal; and thee fxeral things decile the animal’ ations. Man often experiences tn interior sree, if not anguish, in the presence of alemate 20d, any one of which ial within is own power to cect. But fhe print i that when the man dow make hi decison, the ma it ating, not the vatiow good that are damoring for din. Tee true that even after he Ine chosen ane, the other goods ae nat lowed out nor does their csmor altogether sbside. Only by a Towing the chonen good, the elected motive, have ie sway dos the hole ma move inthe cretion of se atainment, Bat mans i tary nature makes It incorrect to represent his will at exerting extemal force on bi othe facie, Hie soul, now actuated by Bi hice, i the reas forthe activity ofall hi powers. He acts by fone subanilform.™ Action Does Not Change the Agent 219 [Beery actin inthe wold i forthe sake of ste eu. very action erignates in some sbtanceinfortsed with an entlehy that sakes it susceptible to ceria atraction which arose, ssa ad terminate its activity, Here we witnes on the ceted level he very ign of ecient enwality. Even man, in his free actions, responds {o some good which he is avare of and fiat teely chowen, Yet, citer the ehcice nor the response of his operative ower the ‘roduc of any efficent cause, To ae tht thi is owe have ol to Feflet that God made nates, and by that very fact made thes responsive to ends. These nator, tis tru, exert fet easalty ‘on one another, and material part on material part of the ame ature, yet they do not respond ar patients of an efent cane ‘That i became ends do not exert efficent easly on nares, The appetite, or rather the whole support by renon of the appetite, ‘imply responds tothe attraction of the end. The respone indeed smn acton but the agent ie moved to aco, ot by efient bat by final cane. This i the rewon for Aquinae’ sarting expression, "Every movement avis fm seeting imme.” ‘What, then, happens when the wil “commands” the other fecutes? To begin wit, et ws note tht St. Thomas, following Aritole, compares the ebordinaton of the appetite of man to the sobordination which was suppoeed to exist among the various movers ofthe cles spheres Now, tis tre that enegy was up pwd tobe tansmited frm the highest sphere to the lowe and ‘hat is efficent causality, but the completed: motion of the spheres was imposible to explain onthe ba of efcient caus Alone. There had t be asbordination offal cases. Nori there !ny point in eproating the astronomy on which ds lutason i founded. What is clear is that im comparing the appetites of man to the supposed eee movers, hear keen phiesopers of hut ature regurled: (1) the sul the prime reaon forthe move iment of any ofthe appetites, and (2) the mbordnation of the lower to the highest a6 saborination of nal causes to the ic prome Binal tendency of the whale eren Se when the movement Of the wll by ts eleton x Broo to ear of someting, the Jnascble and eoncupisibe fellow the roversent of the wil, Appetite moves appeit, se sphere moves sphere” SGLTRC Ty, m0 de din, 18; De Pit, 2 4220 Philosophical Studies Since the will ta ratonal appetite, i willing anything a ll ‘conditioned on an intellectual awareness of various goods and Ue fealty, In that sear the intellect ae Form to the wil ‘But in the secuton the wil sa form to all heather power. To the lower appetites the command simply means tha the very struc ture of human nate (ar of the heavens) requite that the action tf the lower powers be sabordinated to the vl, ad proce fo ‘he ene determining principle of the oman ac, fom the sou 3s cust by the free che, The srogge which we experience even iter the choice only means that we continue toe aware ofthe ‘ther mative whieh we could ill at any mament eect. We cane ‘ot tepres thir clamor by eficent eau, because appetites are ‘ot sbjeet to that; we ean only make the camer die down by heightening our preference fr the elected motive, by intensifying the influence ofits Bra causal ‘A special dfety may present ulti regard to mucular smoverents,but we must remember thatthe brain and the muscles fr activated by the same sal that makes the fee choices. More- fren, when these movements are deliberate dhey are preceded by ineheie images, Yet [can frm ch kinesthetic image and n= fgine st of mula activites thot executing tem. There ores wile the influence of the Gina cause ix in abeyance, thee movement oo, await the decion of the wil, This is only saying that in human act man act by his ol, a hat soul timate ‘termined by the fre cice of his wil, And man is never more ‘one than when be acs fely.” Man i above all onsituted fr fee fet In chee he moved by Gal eatwality, and all hs powers are inde the sway of the ste. Their eicent causation begins in Tespons tothe teen final cau, From there on, effet take place but alway in some patent nt identical with che acting agent 7 Retaming, then, to on" orgial propeton, we see tat change characterizes a thing ae an llect, not as case, Bat Since {nthe mat peronal cae the flee cae i esident in mello sore propery ft mpl, and since T uvally experience some fet a Action Does Not Change the Agent aa ‘fot, 1 become habituated to the impresion tha this fedling i dential with acon, and belong othe agent such, That, howe ‘ve, i an sion Anything fle snot ation, it Paton; at 8 property of ease but of fle, ‘Ths sands wo reason. Anything felt i produced, Cause such i tiny something not beng produced ee he producing agent, and an effect never intrudes upon its efnt cause, Nor i there anything repugnant in a caine not being in the Kat fee "There are many fel effects such a6 2 headache, the case of which toclly escapes our awarenem, But that there 3 cause we have not the slightest doubt ‘We have artved, then, at this important condlson that all changeit in pacens 1efllows thatthe whole peeepibe word since its abject to change, ia universe of eet. Not ur imme lite and direct experience, bt our reasoning lends ut to the di covery of elient causes operating in that word. And when in our Investigation of eicent cause we are at lant confronted with Esl caus Wwe wites the reason why creatures aet and move, Thies true even of our acts of fee choice What we experience there is ‘our permiting an clcted motive to move the wil. Finite beings that we are, we must be meted by motives. Our eonscieusnes of free ‘kom imply de tothe far that ot of alkerntive mative: no one of them predetermine sto aeguace to it inlance But when we Ao acqulsce to anyone, that on, in our very acqulsing, moves tus We ar, by final cause, and dasite our feedom, moved movers Tat fist the proposition that action doesnot change the agent seemed to imply that every agen is an unmoved move, Trust that ‘we have cleared it of tat implication. Then, when the immunity of efit eat fom being invaded by it om elect taken to- tether withthe propstion thi whatever moved iy moved by nother, and when we add that all the efcent eases invlved in ny elect are acting simultaneously inthe ving present, our minds ‘mount upward to the fit euly uncased Cause, the totally fee and ecenallypesent Origin ofall the fet hat make up eration, ‘We are at once inthe presence of the etal act om which allel depends Nor need this arpriae Te as there atthe mete ‘hs of oth Arte and S-"Thomas limatly ed them. ay, J.A MeWanuaass, 5 Saint Lois Uni rity