unit 1 theology

Three Mental Acts and Terms

  • Mental Acts:

    1. Simple Apprehension (Term)

    2. Judgment (Proposition)

    3. Reasoning (Syllogism)

Simple Apprehension

  • Definition: Simple apprehension is the mental act that allows us to recognize “what a thing is” without making a judgment about it.

  • Importance: It helps in grasping concepts and forming the foundation for more complex mental processes.

Example: St. Augustine's Childhood Stories

  • Theft of Pears:

    • Indicates the concept of sin and a disordered state of being.

  • Search for Truth in Philosophy:

    • Reflects human curiosity and the innate desire for understanding reality and God's truth.

  • Takeaway: These stories demonstrate Augustine’s journey toward recognizing reality and the divine truth through lived experiences.

The Porphyrian Tree and Comprehension

  • Porphyrian Tree:

    • A diagram displaying categories of beings and their distinctions.

  • Comprehension:

    • Refers to the meaning or essence of a concept.

  • Extension:

    • Relates to the range of things to which the concept applies.

Topics of Inquiry

  1. How do we come to know truth?

    • Through our senses (perception) and reasoning (logic), aligning the mind with reality.

  2. Truth vs. Reality:

    • Reality: Exists outside us; it is independent.

    • Truth: Our mental agreement with reality.

  3. Is it rational to have Faith?

    • Yes, faith builds upon reason. It may go beyond it but does not contradict it.

  4. How do we perceive reality in different ways?

    • Through sense experience, reason, and faith.

  5. Explain the Story of Salvation (Kerygma):

    • Narrative: God created humanity, humanity fell (sin), Christ came, rose again, and thus salvation is offered to all.

Relationships in Philosophy

  • Key Concepts:

    • Act: A thing's current reality.

    • Potency: A thing's capacity to become something more (e.g., an acorn's potential to become an oak tree).

    • Form: The essential quality (or “Oakness”) of the tree.

    • Matter: The physical substance (wood) comprising the oak tree.

    • Accidents: Non-essential qualities (color, shape, size).

Four Causes of Things

  1. Material Cause: What it is made of.

  2. Formal Cause: Its essence or form.

  3. Efficient Cause: Who or what made it.

  4. Final Cause (Telos): Its purpose or end goal.

Definition of Logic

  • Logic Defined:

    • Correct reasoning that assists in recognizing truth, avoiding errors, and understanding reality.

Parts of an Argument/Syllogism

  • Components:

    1. Premise 1

    2. Premise 2

    3. Conclusion

Theology Study Guide: Foundational Principles

Key Terms

  • Truth: Agreement between the mind and reality (what “IS” vs. what we think).

  • Perception: How we become aware of reality through the senses.

  • Reality: Existence independent of opinion or belief.

  • Kerygma: The essential proclamation of the Gospel: Christ lived, died, and rose to provide salvation.

  • Telos/End: The final goal or purpose of an entity.

  • Form: The essence of a thing, determining its identity.

  • Matter: The physical constituent of an object.

  • Substance: The essence of a thing beyond its appearances.

  • Accidents: Characteristics that do not define essence (such as color, shape, and size).

  • Act: The reality of a thing at its present state.

  • Potency: The potential of a thing to become something else.

  • Four Causes: Material, Formal, Efficient, Final.

  • Logic: The art and science of correct reasoning.

Logic Concepts

Three Acts of the Mind

  1. Simple Apprehension: The grasping of a concept, such as recognizing a triangle.

  2. Judgment: Making a statement about reality (e.g., “A triangle has three sides.”).

  3. Reasoning: Drawing conclusions based on premises (e.g., “Therefore, all triangles are polygons.”).

Additional Concepts

  • Abstraction: The mental act of identifying universal qualities from specific instances (e.g., seeing “dogness” in various dogs).

  • Term: A single concept or word representing an idea.

  • Proposition: A statement that can be evaluated as true or false.

  • Syllogism: A logical argument comprised of premises leading to a conclusion.

  • Sound Argument: An argument that is both valid (correct reasoning) and has premises that match reality.