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COMMENTARY ON THE METAPHYSICS
by
Thomas Aquinas
translated by John P. Rowan
Chicago, 1961
htmledited by Joseph Kenny, O.P.
with addition of Latin and Greek
The English is a translation of the Latin.
This varies considerably from the Greek of Aristotle.
PROLOGUE
THOMAS AQUINAS' OUTLINE OF THE BOOK
Introduction (168) BOOK 1—Α
The work itself (692663)
What previous philosophers said about causes (69272)
Determination of the truth (2732663) BOOK 2—α
With regard to universal truth (274337)
With regard to the truth about what belongs to this science (338
BOOK 3—Β
2663)
Dialectical exposition of the problems (338528)
Demonstrative section 5292663 BOOK 4—Γ
List of things this science considers (529748)
Determination of these things (7492663) BOOK 5—Δ
The meanings of the terms used in this science (749
1143)
Names signifying causes (749841)
Names signifying the subject of this science (842
1032)
Names signifying attributes or aspects of the
subject (10331143)
Determination of the realities this science considers
BOOK 6—Ε
(11442663)
The method of considering "being" in this science
(11441244)
The truth about "being" (12452663) BOOK 7—Ζ
The truth about "being as being" (12452145)
"Being" (12451919)
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As it is divided by the ten categories
(12451767)
The need to focus on substance
(12451269)
The truth about substance (1270
1767)
The method and order of
discussion (12701305)
Sensible substances (1306
1767)
General and logical
considerations (1306
1680)
Considering the principles
of sensible substances BOOK 8—Η
(16811767)
As it is divided by potency and act BOOK 9—Θ
(17681919)
"One" and its concomitants (19202145) BOOK 10—Ι
"One" in itself (19201982)
In comparison with multitude (1983
2145)
The first principles of being: separated BOOK 11—
substances (21462663) Κ
Preliminary considerations (21462415)
BOOK 12—
Separated substances (24162663)
Λ
Aristotle:
BOOK 13—
Μ
BOOK 14—
Ν
Prooemium PROLOGUE
Sicut docet philosophus in When several things are ordained to one
politicis suis, quando aliqua plura thing, one of them must rule or govern and
ordinantur ad unum, oportet unum the rest be ruled or governed, as the
eorum esse regulans, sive regens, Philosopher, teaches in the Politics. This
et alia regulata, sive recta. Quod is evident in the union of soul and body, for
quidem patet in unione animae et the soul naturally commands and the body
corporis; nam anima naturaliter obeys. The same thing is true of the soul’s
imperat, et corpus obedit. Similiter powers, for the concupiscible and irascible
etiam inter animae vires: appetites are ruled in a natural order by
irascibilis enim et concupiscibilis reason. Now all the sciences and arts are
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naturali ordine per rationem ordained to one thing, namely, to man’s
reguntur. Omnes autem scientiae perfection, which is happiness. Hence one
et artes ordinantur in unum, of these sciences and arts must be the
scilicet ad hominis perfectionem, mistress of all the others, and this rightly
quae est eius beatitudo. Unde lays claim to the name wisdom; for it is the
necesse est, quod una earum sit office of the wise man to direct others.
aliarum omnium rectrix, quae
nomen sapientiae recte vindicat.
Nam sapientis est alios ordinare.
quae circa principia maxime deals with the most universal principles.
universalia versatur. Quae quidem These principles are being and those
sunt ens, et ea quae things which naturally accompany being,
consequuntur ens, ut unum et such as unity and plurality, potency and
multa, potentia et actus. act. Now such principles should not
Huiusmodi autem non debent remain entirely undetermined, since
omnino indeterminata remanere, without them complete knowledge of the
cum sine his completa cognitio de principles which are proper to any genus
his, quae sunt propria alicui or species cannot be had. Nor again
generi vel speciei, haberi non should they be dealt with in any one
possit. Nec iterum in una aliqua particular science, for, since a knowledge
particulari scientia tractari debent: of each class of beings stands in need if
quia cum his unumquodque such principles, they would with equal
genus entium ad sui cognitionem reason be investigated in every particular
indigeat, pari ratione in qualibet science. It follows, then, that such
particulari scientia tractarentur. principles should be treated by one
Unde restat quod in una communi common science, which, since it is
scientia huiusmodi tractentur; intellectual in the highest degree, is the
quae cum maxime intellectualis mistress of the others.
sit, est aliarum regulatrix.
Ex quo apparet, quod quamvis From this it is evident that, although this
ista scientia praedicta tria science (metaphysics or first philosophy)
consideret, non tamen considerat studies the three things mentioned above,
quodlibet eorum ut subiectum, sed it does not investigate any one of them as
ipsum solum ens commune. Hoc its subject, but only being in general. For
enim est subiectum in scientia, the subject of a science is the genus
cuius causas et passiones whose causes and properties we seek,
quaerimus, non autem ipsae and not the causes themselves of the
causae alicuius generis quaesiti. particular genus studied; for a knowledge
Nam cognitio causarum alicuius of the causes of some genus is the goal to
generis, est finis ad quem which the investigation of a science
consideratio scientiae pertingit. attains. Now although the subject of this
Quamvis autem subiectum huius science is being in general, the whole of it
scientiae sit ens commune, dicitur is predicated of those things which are
tamen tota de his quae sunt separate from matter both in their
separata a materia secundum intelligible constitution and in being. For it
esse et rationem. Quia secundum is not only those things which can never
esse et rationem separari exist in matter that are said to be separate
dicuntur, non solum illa quae from matter in their intelligible constitution
nunquam in materia esse possunt, and being, such as God and the
sicut Deus et intellectuales intellectual substances, but also those
substantiae, sed etiam illa quae which can exist without matter, as being in
possunt sine materia esse, sicut general. This could not be the case,
ens commune. Hoc tamen non however, if their being depended on
contingeret, si a materia matter.
secundum esse dependerent.
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