Christian Humanism Trimester 1

St. Thomas Aquinas

A 13th-century Italian Dominican friar and 'Doctor of the Church' widely regarded as the greatest philosopher and theologian of the Catholic Church. Known as the 'Angelic Doctor,' he is famous for synthesizing Aristotelian philosophy with Christian doctrine and for writing the Summa Theologiae. He emphasized that faith and reason are compatible paths to truth.

Summa Theologiae

Literally, “a summary of theology;” an exhaustive five-part work that is St. Thomas Aquinas’ great gift to the Church and which is still widely studied and quoted.

Philosophy

The study of reality, focusing on its ultimate causes. This knowledge can be arrived through natural reason. Philosophy is literally translated as “love of wisdom.”

Divine Revelation

In a religious sense, a revelation refers to the manifestation of the hidden by God, as a result of the personal word and witness of God Himself.

Truth

Conformity of the mind with reality: I know the truth when what I have in my mind matcher objective reality. St. Thomas argues that truth is universal, immutable and can be known by human beings who diligently seek it.

Magisterium

From the Latin magister, “teacher;” the teaching authority of the Catholic Church regarding all matters pertaining to salvation. The Church’s bishops in union with the Pope, as successors to the apostles, are charged with the sacred duty of passing on the truth and interpreting faithfully those teachings that come from Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Theology

The study of God and things pertaining to the divine, using both faith and reason.

Objective

(Related to object) whatever is determined by the object or based on the object. The term is often used in contrast to the subjective, i.e., to what is based on the subject.

Subjective

Something based on the subject. Dependent on the knower

Form

The essence of a thing, the determining principle of a physical thing that makes it to be the kind of thing that it is. Form can be either substantial or accidental. The form of a living thing is called its “soul”. (Act)

Matter

The receptive principle of a physical thing; that out of which a physical thing is made (Potency). Matter can either secondary or primary.

Potency

The capacity or ability of a thing to be actualized, e.g., a slab of marble has the potency to be a statue. The opposite of actuality.

Actuality

Having real existence; the opposite of the merely possible.

Substance

That which is able to exist in and for itself and not in another.

Accident

That which is able to exist only in another; it requires a substance in which to inhere.

Substantial form

That which makes a thing exist on its own, as a substance.

Accidental form

That which makes a substance exist in a particular manner.

Prime Matter

The “matter” which substantial form actualizes; pure potentiality; the principle of receptivity in every physical thing.

Secondary matter

Matter which exists because it has already received a substantial form.

First Act

Simple existence (when the body and soul come together)

Second Act

Any action done after something is created/made

Ensoulment

The beginning point of the body-soul union.

Body-Soul Unity

The human body is the matter of a human being; It is intrinsically good; Intrinsic: in and of itself, or essentially; The body expresses the soul

Death

The separation of the soul from the body.

Immortal vs. Mortal

From the Latin immortalis; “not subject to death;” the unending continued existence of life vs. Subject to death alongside the body

Sensitive Soul

Refers to the powers of the soul which enable it to receive and react to sensations (sensation, appetition, and locomotion). All animals have the sensitive and vegetative powers.

Vegetative Soul

Refers to the powers of the soul which enable it to grow, nourish itself, and reproduce. The souls of plants have only these powers.

Rational soul

From the Latin, ratio, “reason.” It refers to the human way of thinking because our minds move in a step-by-step fashion from understanding one idea to understanding another one, to understanding a third.

Sense knowledge

Sense knowledge refers to the understanding gained through our physical senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. It is often viewed as a way to perceive and interact with the physical world.

Common sense

This internal sense is not what we refer to when we tell someone to use his “common sense,” i.e., to use good judgment. This internal sense refers to the power of the soul which puts together the images which each of the external senses brings in.  In doing this, it forms a unified whole of whatever is being sensed.  We call this image of the sensed object we perceive the “percept.”

Imagination

The power of the soul which produces the very first images a knower (animal or human) has of the various sensations he is experiencing through his exterior senses.

Memory

The understanding gained through our physical senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. It is often viewed as a way to perceive and interact with the physical world

External senses

Sight, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.

Internal senses

The common sense, imagination, memory, and cogitative (estimative) sense.

Percept

The image of the sensed object which is formed by the common sense.

Phantasm

The completed sense image which is produced by the imagination.

Reminisce

To recall past experiences.

Estimative sense/Cogitative sense

In animals we call it the estimative sense and in humans we call this internal sense the cogitative sense.  Although it is similar to the animal’s “estimative” ability, it is significantly different in humans.  This is because we humans have rational powers.  Man’s instinct is poorly developed, probably because he does not really need it.  St. Thomas explains that what an animal knows through instinct, a human being learns by putting ideas together.

Sense appetites

An active tendency within a being towards an object that the senses present to it. The two sense appetites are called the Concupiscible and the Irascible appetites. The various movements of the sense appetites are called emotions or passions.

Psychosomatic

From the Latin psyche, “soul” and soma, “body;” having to do with the body-soul union.

Concupiscible appetite

Sense appetite whose object is the easy good or evil which is sensed.

Irascible appetite

Sense appetite whose object is the difficult good or evil which is sensed.

Love

Response to a good wither absent or present.

Desire

Response to a good which is absent.

Pleasure/Joy

Response to a good which is present.

Evil

The absence of good

Hate

Response to an evil whether absent or present.

Pain/Sorrow

Response to an evil which is present.

Hope

Good is absent and difficult to obtain.

Despair

Good is absent and impossible to obtain.

Courage

Evil is absent and avoidable.

Fear

Evil is absent but unavoidable.

Anger

Evil is present and surmountable.

Privation

The lack of a good or condition which ought to be present.

Locomotion

Movement from one place to another; a sensitive power of the soul.

Intellect

From the Latin intus, “within” and legre, "“to read;” the knowing power in human beings with is able to grasp the essences of physical beings.

Will

A free and active tendency within a being towards or away from an object that the intellect presents to it. It is also called the intellectual or rational appetite.

Active Intellect

That aspect of the human intellect which is always activated and which has the power to abstract the essence of a things from the completed sense image (the phantasm).

Passive Intellect

That aspect of the human intellect which waits to be activated by the abstracted nature of the sensed object. It is the knowing power which forms the universal concept.

Proper Object

The end or goal of a power of a soul; the tin reality which the powers of the soul were designed to know.

Essence/Truth

From the Latin esse, “to be;” what a thing is, the underlying identity or nature of a thing.

Infinite Goodness

Arises from the intellect, once the intellect forms “goodness”, the will seeks infinite good. Proper object of the will- infinite good. THIS CAN PERTAIN TO GOD, AS HE IS/CAN PROVIDE INFINITE GOOD.

Consciousness

From the Latin conscire, “to know,” “to be aware of;” the awareness of oneself as the cause of one’s own activity.

Freedom of Will

The ability of individuals to make choices and control their actions, which is essential for moral responsibility.

Subsistent

Able to exist independently or on its own.

Spiritual Soul

One which has both an activity and an existence that is free of matter.

Immortal vs. Eternal

Something created after the dawn of time, and will always exist. vs. Something that has always, and will always, exist.

Grades of Being

Grades of being is the difference between potency and act. God, Angels, Human Persons, Non-Human Animals, Plants, Non-Living Beings, Prime Matter.

Person

From the Latin persona, “a mask used by actors,” a “role;” I theology: a being who is essentially relational; in philosophy; an individual substance of a rational nature.

God as Three Divine Persons

The father brings about the son by totally and selflessly giving Himself in love. The son receives the Father’s love and gives himself back to the father in gratitude. The Holy Spirit is the living bond between the Father and the Son. The Trinity exists as one substance related by their mutual and total self giving. In Relation to Others.

Personalistic Norm

The standard by which one should treat every human person: Never use a human person as a mere means to an end.

End/Intention

Finis: “intended result of an action”/ What the person hopes his act will accomplish.

Means

An action or thing that is used to achieve something else.

First Principle

From Latin principium (origin, source); the ultimate basis upon which our reasoning depends; a self-evident truth that serves as a starting point for our reasoning.

Ethics

Ethics studies human acts in order to determine whether they will lead us to the ultimate end that we seek. Ethics are also concerned with moral laws, rights, obligations, and principles. Ethics is a science which studies how human persons can be happy.

Happiness

Man’s complete flourishing wherein there is nothing more he desires.

Nature

From Latin natura (birth, constitution, character); the essential qualities or properties of a thing; the essence of a thing which it has from its beginning; what a thing is.

Human Nature

From Latin natura (birth, constitution, character); the general inherent character or disposition of mankind.

Good

(Relative) conducive to well-being, to happiness; (absolute) the reality of completeness according to the nature or design of a thing.

Goods of the Body

Refer to objects which satisfy the pleasures of our body such as exercise, thirst, and hunger.

Goods of the Soul

Goods of the soul refer to virtues, knowledge, and personal development that contribute to a person's moral and intellectual well-being.

Hierarchy of goods

A body of goods ranked in order one above another.

Ultimate End

From Latin ultimus (last, final); the end that lies beyond all others.

Substitutes for Hapiness

Pseudo-Happiness: Money, Pleasure, Health, Honor/Fame/Glory, Power, Virtue, Happiness in God.

Beatific Vision

From Latin beatificus (making blessed); imparting supreme happiness; the sight of the glories of Heaven.