Causes, Principles and Elements in the De Principiis Naturae, 3, of St. Thomas Aquinas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15691/0718-5448Vol1Iss1a26Keywords:
De principiis naturae 3, St. Thomas Aquinas, efficient cause, final cause, elementAbstract
This article is a study of St. Tomas Aquinas' De Principiis Naturae 3. Firstly, matter, form, and matter are not enough to explain the generations: another principle is required, which operate the generation. This is the efficient cause, which does not operate if it is not moved by an end. Acting for an end is proper both to voluntary and to natural agents. He proves this by means of a complex conditional hypothetic syllogism. Then, he distinguishes the senses of cause and principle: a cause is that from the being of which another thing follows; a principle is simply what is prior to another thing. Lastly, he distinguishes the element's notion from the one of prime matter. Based on this, we may establish a generic notion of matter, the principal species of which would be the prime matter, the subject and the elements.Downloads
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2016-12-28
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How to Cite
Rego, Thomas. 2016. “Causes, Principles and Elements in the De Principiis Naturae, 3, of St. Thomas Aquinas”. Síntesis. Philosophy Journal 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.15691/0718-5448Vol1Iss1a26.
