Scholastica commentaria in Primam Partem Summae Theologicae

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE.

FIRST conclusion: In God there is no passive power. Second conclusion: In God there is the greatest active power. The reason of both conclusions is: because God is pure act, and most perfect.

COMMENTARY.

ON this matter the Scholastics dispute in 1, d. 42 and 43; and St. Thomas published special questions On Power among the disputed questions. See him, 2 Cont. Gent., ch. 7 and 10.

It must be noted in this article that St. Thomas here does not take power for the power of dominion, but for the virtue and connatural force for the production of effects. Second, it must be noted that just as act is twofold — the one second, which is the operation of a thing, which is most properly called act; the other the first act, which is the form giving being to the thing, and is more properly called form than act — so likewise power is twofold: the one in order to the second act, and this is active power; the other, however, in order to the first act, and this is called passive power. St. Thomas is to be seen, in the first question On Power, art. 1. It must be noted third that it belongs to the account of active power that it be a principle of something, whether of the second act itself, namely of the operation, or of some effect which is produced through the operation. But it belongs to the account of a principle that it be distinguished from that of which it is the principle, which is produced through that power itself: so St. Thomas below, q. 41, art. 4, ad 3. From which it follows first that in God, properly speaking, the intellect and the will are not called powers in order to intellection and volition: since those operations are not really distinguished from the intellect and the will. Second, it follows that in God there properly is active power in order to creatures, which He produces: because they are really distinguished from it. But whether in God there is properly active power in order to the production of the Divine Persons will be examined below, q. 41. The conclusion of St. Thomas must therefore be held as most certain with the same certitude with which we hold that God is pure act, on which matter see above, q. 3. The second conclusion, however, is also most certain, and to be held as a matter of faith. It is clear from Ps. 88: Thou art powerful, O Lord, etc. Finally, the whole Sacred Page is full of testimonies asserting that there is power, indeed omnipotence, in God.

IT IS DOUBTED concerning the reason by which St. Thomas proves the second conclusion, which reason is of this kind: God is most of all a being in act, therefore He most of all has active power. Against this reason it is argued: a stone is a being in act, and yet it does not have any active power; therefore from the fact that something is a being in act it cannot be gathered that it has active power; and so from the fact that God is most of all a being in act it is not permissible to gather that He most of all has active power. The minor is proved: weight, which is in a stone, is a passive power and not an active one, therefore. Second. Dryness, moisture, whiteness, blackness, etc. are qualities in act, and yet they do not have active power, since they are passive qualities, therefore. It is answered that St. Thomas did not base his reason on this alone, that God is most of all in act, but also on this, that God is most perfect. From which it is well gathered that He most of all has active power: for active power follows the perfection of a thing; nor can any thing be called supremely perfect if there be wanting to it that perfection which is to have active power. According to this explanation of St. Thomas the arguments made do not go through. Second, it is answered by admitting that proposition on which the whole reason of St. Thomas seems to rest, namely, that any thing whatsoever, according as it is in act, has active power. To the first it is answered that the weight of a stone, in order to downward motion, has in some way the account of active power, because that motion follows the weight by a certain natural resultancy, which is a certain efficiency, although not a perfect one. Second, it is answered that weight is without qualification an active power, for moving another extrinsic thing. To the second it is said that those qualities also have active power, for whiteness and blackness can emit visible likenesses into the seeing power, while others can produce taste, touch, etc. See other reasons for this conclusion, 2 Contra Gentes, ch. 7. The solution of the second argument is to be noted, in which St. Thomas teaches that, when the act is other than the power, it is more perfect than the power itself: which proposition must be understood with a qualification, for if the act be considered according as it is the effect of the power itself, it is more perfect than the power itself, just as universally every cause is more perfect than its effect. The sentence of St. Thomas is therefore understood if the act be considered according as it is the end and complement of the power. Moreover St. Thomas can be understood not of any particular act whatever; for, since any act easily passes away, while the power is something permanent, and contains within its virtue not only one act but many, the power appears more perfect than any singular act of it. Hence the sentence of St. Thomas is to be understood either of an act which is contingent together with the power, which cannot be separated from it — of which sort is the cognition by which an angel knows itself — or, better, it can be understood that St. Thomas speaks of the operation of the power in common, so that he compares every act possible to some power to that power itself. And in this sense the act and operation of the power is more perfect than the power itself. Note the solution to the third, and the difference which St. Thomas there assigns between created and divine power.

Concerning the reply to the second and third, Cajetan disputes: Whether transient action is in the agent, or rather in the thing acted upon? But since this question is physical, it must be deliberately passed over by us.