Metaphysics

Period er Being Prime Matter

Precedent All things were made from
Period St. passive "primal amorphous
(Patristic Augustine matter" with seeds of everything
Era) that would come to be later

There are beings which are

Severinus entities without materials
Boethius ('intellectibles'), those which
are souls fallen to bodies, or
Transition those which are entirely
Period material entities
creates and not created",
Carolingia "which creates and is created",
n John Scotus "which is created and does not
Renaissan Eriugena create", "which is not created
ce and does not create"
Thinking of existing things
demands extramental
St Anselm existence of things - it could
of only be thought of because it
Canterbury exists. Thinking about non-
Formation existing things do not bring it
Period to existence
in intelligence but signify real
Peter things. They are essentially,
Abelard integrally, simultaneously in
individuals
All creature has essence and
St Albert existence (esse), and only in
Apogee Magnus God is essence equal to his
Period esse
 God, and is made up of
St materia & forma. No creature Prime Matter is not pure
Bonaventur exists only with matter or only potential; although there exists
e with forma primitive form

St Thomas
Aquinas
Prime Matter is pure potency,
Existence is realization of material substrate which receives
essence substantial form
Univocal meaning - being is
Decadent Bl. Duns common to all reality. Essence There exists pure matter without
Age Scotus is equated to existence form
William of Only particular individuals
Occam exist - individual and concrete
Forma Period er
Precedent
Within "primal amorphous matter", Period St.
"ratio seminalis" are sown, which (Patristic Augustine
later became individual things Era)

Severinus
Boethius
Addressed problem of Universals Transition
(translating Porphyry) Period
World of ideas as 2nd nature, Carolingia
primordial ideas exist in God from n John Scotus
eternity, but comes into effect at Renaissan Eriugena
certain point of time ce

St Anselm
of
Canterbury
Formation
Period
The universals exist as 'form' to Peter
corporal bodies, which transcend Abelard
them when abstracted

St Albert
Apogee Magnus
Period
 St
Forma is a principle of individuation Bonaventur
of beings e

St Thomas
Aquinas
Form is that which makes a
substance what it is; that which
gives matter its existence
individual is unique - a single entity
may have many forms Decadent Duns
superimposed Age Scotus
William of
Occam
Human Being
Knowledge Moral Order
(models/experience to help us judge), The only 'true' evil is fruit of liberty -
contemplation of eternal things which hence morality of an action is based
are made visible to the intelligence on will, which when conforms to God's,
through illumination will bring happiness
knowing is merely recaling of what had
been known before - thus proclaiming
preexistence of souls. Classification of
knowledge into speculative: theology,
psychology and natural sciences -
quadrivium and trivium; and practical: Freedom to unite the human will to
governance of self, of family, and of divine will, ultimately is the highest
society) form of liberty and happiness
external senses, interior senses to
capture essences, reason to recognize
archetypes and illumination of the
intelligence. God as the beginning and
the goal of creation

Thinking of existing things demands

extramental existence of things - it
could only be thought of because it Freedom as active potency that
exists. Thinking about non-existing allows preservation of rectitude of will,
things do not bring it to existence and sin is a free action

Morality depends on intention, less on

actions and works themselves

Knowledge of natural objects proceed

from evident premises and experience
2 modes of knowing: through senses
sensible objects can be known;
through illumination, spiritual objects
can be contemplated
knowledge. 4 phases: senses grasp
individual object; sensible perception
leaves impression of the object in the
memory; understanding strips from Happiness as motor of all works - what
these images individual elements to is good is good because it is coherent
extract the universal essence; to human nature. Morality of acts
understanding conceives the universal depend on both the intention and the
concept act itself
What is good depends on the will of
Intuition/Perception - because they God - things are good because God
have been given by faith
Something can known only by wants them good
immediate evidence - abstraction does Omnipotent will of God is basis for
not extract essence morality
 God
Period r Essence
Precedent
Period St.
(Patristic Augustine God as absolute truth, supreme
Era) act, Goodness itself

Severinus
Boethius
Transition God as supreme 'intellectible' &
Period supreme goodness
Carolingia
n John Scotus
Renaissan Eriugena God as beginning principle and at
ce the same time, end, of creation

St Anselm of
Canterbury
Formation God as absolute truth, (ontological
Period argument)

Peter
Abelard

St Albert
Apogee Magnus
Period
 1) From sensible world (being a
St reflection of its creator), 2)
Bonaventur Interiority/union of soul with God,
e 3) Ontological argument

St Thomas
Aquinas
Pure Act - whose existence is equal
to His essence
Absolute Omnipotence: arbitrary
Decadent Duns Scotus power. Everything depends on his
Age will
William of
Occam Omnipotent will
Existence
Can be known from his creation and
operations. Idea of God as source of
immutabilitty

Imperfect beings are always a lessened

presence of what is perfect, and since
imperfection is ubiquitous, there must
exist a Perfect Being which is God

Can be known from the illumination

received by intelligence - as exemplary
ideas are identified with God

Existence of God can be deduced from 3

principles: (supreme) goodness, (prime)
causality and (supreme) perfection

evident, but it is possible to be

demonstrated through the mediation of
his creations - by a chain of causality
(aposteriori).
No creature has motivation nor reason for
its existence - hence there must exist a
creator

5 ways of demonstrating the existence of

God: 1) Immobile Motor, 2) Uncaused
Cause, 3) Supreme Intelligence that
directs all natural entities, 4)
Incontingent Being, 5) Supreme
Perfection that gives all perfections

Theological Proof: Can be known through

revelation
His existence cannot be proved but a
matter of faith