Thursday, May 26, 2011

II.1 chapter 25

Do we not find the same trichotomy of being, knowing, and loving, in man?
In the philosophy we find the same trichotomy: it has been divided in physics, logic, and ethics. These three correspond to three necessary things with which a human artificer is able to make something: nature, education, use. [Compare the four causes from Aristotle: working cause (artificer), material cause (nature), formal cause (education), final cause (use).] Here within use I do not distinguish between use for a purpose and enjoying something, although we know there is this difference: the things of time should rather be used than enjoyed, because the last becomes the eternal things (but the opposite is often done).
If our nature would be from ourself, we would produce our own knowledge (and not have to learn it) and our joy would return to itself (and need nothing external); but as God is our creator, we have to learn from him and our joy has to be turned to him.

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