Scholastic Vocab ( Latin)

1. Act (actus)

   • The actualization of a potential; something existing in its full reality.

2. Potency (potentia)

   • The capacity for change or becoming something else; the potential state of a being.

3. Substance (substantia)

   • That which exists in itself and not in another; a fundamental entity with independent existence.

4. Accident (accidens)

   • A property that exists in and modifies a substance but does not constitute its essence.

5. Essence (essentia)

   • The fundamental nature of a thing, which makes it what it is.

6. Existence (existentia)

   • The act by which an essence is actualized and present in reality.

7. Form (forma)

   • The intrinsic principle that gives a thing its specific nature or identity.

8. Matter (materia)

   • The underlying potentiality of a physical substance, which receives form.

9. Hylomorphism

   • The doctrine that substances are composites of matter (hyle) and form (morphe).

10. Quiddity (quidditas)

    • "Whatness"; the essence of a thing that answers the question, "What is it?"

11. Ens (being)

    • That which has existence; a being in general.

12. Univocity of Being

    • The doctrine that "being" is said in exactly the same way of all things.

13. Analogy of Being (analogia entis)

    • The doctrine that "being" is predicated in a way that is neither purely univocal nor purely equivocal, but analogical.

14. Efficient Cause (causa efficiens)

    • The agent or force that brings something into existence or change.

15. Final Cause (causa finalis)

    • The purpose or end for which something exists.

Epistemology & Logic

16. A priori

    • Knowledge that is independent of experience, derived from reason alone.

17. A posteriori

    • Knowledge that is derived from experience and empirical observation.

18. Principle of Non-Contradiction

    • A thing cannot both be and not be in the same respect at the same time.

19. Principle of Sufficient Reason

    • Everything that exists must have an adequate reason for its existence.

20. Abstraction

    • The process by which the intellect derives universal concepts from particular experiences.

21. Universals

    • Concepts or properties that can be instantiated in multiple particulars (e.g., "humanity" in all humans).

22. Nominalism

    • The doctrine that universals are mere names and have no real existence apart from individual things.

23. Realism

    • The doctrine that universals exist independently of the mind.

24. Moderate Realism

    • The position (held by Aquinas) that universals exist in reality but only in particular things.

25. Syllogism

    • A logical argument in which a conclusion follows necessarily from two premises.

26. Demonstration (demonstratio)

    • A syllogism that produces necessary and certain knowledge.

27. Dialectic

    • The method of reasoning through opposing arguments to arrive at truth.

Theology & Philosophical Theology

28. Analogia fidei (Analogy of Faith)

    • The principle that Scripture should be interpreted in light of itself, maintaining doctrinal coherence.

29. Divine Simplicity

    • The doctrine that God is not composed of parts; His attributes are identical with His essence.

30. Quoad nos / Quoad se

    • "As known to us" vs. "As known in itself." Used in discussions of God’s nature.

31. Per accidens / Per se

    • "By accident" vs. "By itself." Used to distinguish contingent vs. essential properties.

32. Actus purus (Pure Act)

    • The doctrine that God is fully actualized with no potentiality.

33. Efficient Grace

    • Grace that infallibly brings about its intended effect (associated with Augustinian and Thomistic theology).

34. Operative vs. Cooperative Grace

    • Operative grace: God acts alone in regeneration.

    • Cooperative grace: God and man work together in sanctification.

35. Contingent Being

    • A being that depends on another for its existence.

36. Necessary Being

    • A being whose existence is self-sufficient and not dependent on anything else (God).

37. Via negativa (Apophatic Theology)

    • The method of describing God by negation (e.g., "God is not finite").

38. De potentia absoluta vs. De potentia ordinata

    • Absolute power: What God could do apart from His established order.

    • Ordained power: What God actually does according to His decrees.

Ethics & Law

39. Natural Law

    • The moral order inherent in human nature, discoverable by reason.

40. Divine Law

    • Law revealed directly by God, such as in Scripture.

41. Eternal Law

    • The unchanging plan of God by which He governs all creation.

42. Human Law

    • Laws established by human authorities in accordance with natural law.

43. Synderesis

    • The innate habit of the mind that grasps fundamental moral principles.

44. Virtue (virtus)

    • A habitual disposition to act rightly.

45. Prudence (prudentia)

    • The intellectual virtue of choosing the right means to attain a good end.

46. Justice (iustitia)

    • The moral virtue of giving each their due.

47. Fortitude (fortitudo)

    • The virtue of courage in facing difficulty.

48. Temperance (temperantia)

    • The virtue of moderation and self-control.

Metaphysics & Ontology (Expanded)

49. Suppositum

    • An individual substance of a rational nature; in Christology, it refers to the Person of Christ.

50. Principium individuationis

    • The principle that differentiates one individual from another within the same species.

51. Esse (to be, act of existence)

    • The act by which something exists in reality, as distinct from its essence.

52. Ens commune

    • "Common being"; the general notion of existence as shared by all things.

53. Intentional Being (esse intentionale)

    • The mode of existence that objects of thought possess in the intellect.

54. Quod est vs. Quo est

    • Quod est: "That which is"—refers to a being itself.

    • Quo est: "That by which something is"—refers to the principle by which something has existence (i.e., its act of being).

55. Exemplar Cause (causa exemplaris)

    • The model or archetype according to which something is made.

Epistemology & Logic (Expanded)

56. Ratio cognoscendi

    • The principle by which something is known.

57. Fides et ratio

    • "Faith and reason"; the harmony between theological belief and rational thought.

58. Scientia

    • Knowledge obtained through demonstration; contrasted with opinio (opinion) and fides (faith).

59. Aeviternity (aevum)

    • A mode of existence between time and eternity, typically applied to angels.

60. Obscure Knowledge (cognitio obscura)

    • Imperfect or limited knowledge of a truth, contrasted with cognitio clara (clear knowledge).

61. Intellectus vs. Ratio

    • Intellectus: The direct grasp of truth without discursive reasoning.

    • Ratio: Discursive reasoning that arrives at conclusions step by step.

62. Cognitio per connaturalitatem

    • Knowledge gained through experience or participation rather than strict reasoning.

63. Apprehensio, Judicium, Ratiocinatio

    • The three acts of the intellect: apprehension (grasping concepts), judgment (forming propositions), and reasoning (drawing conclusions).

64. Infused Knowledge (cognitio infusa)

    • Knowledge directly given by God, as opposed to acquired knowledge (cognitio acquisita).

65. Argumentum ex convenientia

    • An argument based on fittingness rather than strict necessity.

Theology & Philosophical Theology (Expanded)

66. Via eminentiae

    • The way of describing God by attributing perfections in an eminent manner (e.g., God is not just good but infinitely good).

67. Via causalitatis

    • The method of knowing God through causality, reasoning from effects to their cause.

68. Theandric Acts

    • Actions performed by Christ as both God and man, reflecting both natures in one Person.

69. Hypostatic Union

    • The union of divine and human natures in the one Person (hypostasis) of Christ.

70. Communicatio idiomatum

    • The communication of properties between Christ’s divine and human natures due to the hypostatic union.

71. Sempiternity

    • Eternal existence with beginning but no end (sometimes applied to created things, distinct from God’s absolute eternity).

72. Sublation

    • The process by which a lower reality is taken up into a higher one without being destroyed.

73. Deiformity

    • The process of becoming like God through grace.

74. Propter quid vs. Quia

    • Propter quid: Demonstration from cause to effect (scientific proof).

    • Quia: Demonstration from effect to cause (empirical knowledge).

75. Motu proprio

    • An action taken by one’s own initiative, often used in papal decrees.

Ethics, Law, & Moral Theology (Expanded)

76. Recta ratio

    • "Right reason"; the properly ordered use of reason in accord with moral truth.

77. Malum culpae vs. Malum poenae

    • Malum culpae: Moral evil (sin).

    • Malum poenae: The evil of punishment, which can be justly inflicted.

78. Lex aeterna, lex naturalis, lex humana

    • Lex aeterna: Eternal law, God’s providential plan.

    • Lex naturalis: Natural law, the moral law discernible by reason.

    • Lex humana: Human law, derived from natural law.

79. Actus hominis vs. Actus humanus

    • Actus hominis: An action performed by a human but without full rational deliberation (e.g., reflexes).

    • Actus humanus: A fully voluntary and rational action.

80. Double Effect (Principium Duplicis Effectus)

    • The principle that an action with both a good and a bad effect may be permissible if the bad effect is unintended and the good effect outweighs it.

81. Speculative vs. Practical Intellect

    • Speculative Intellect: Concerned with knowing truth.

    • Practical Intellect: Concerned with action and moral decision-making.

82. Consequent Will vs. Antecedent Will (in God)

    • Antecedent Will: God’s general desire for all to be saved.

    • Consequent Will: God’s will in light of particular circumstances (e.g., election).

83. Libertas Maior

    • The freedom that comes from being fully ordered toward the good, rather than merely having the ability to choose between good and evil.