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Ideas from 'Summa Theologicae' by Thomas Aquinas [1265], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Summa Theologicae (Concise)' by Aquinas,Thomas (ed/tr McDermott,Timothy) [Christian Classics 1991,0-87061-210-7]].

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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 6. Ockham's Razor
21267 Supposing many principles is superfluous if a few will do it
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 1. Truth
23176 Truth is universal, but knowledge of it is not
20621 Types of lying: Speak lies, intend lies, intend deception, aim at deceptive goal? [Tuckness/Wolf]
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 9. Rejecting Truth
21248 If the existence of truth is denied, the 'Truth does not exist' must be true!
5. Theory of Logic / B. Logical Consequence / 1. Logical Consequence
23173 If a syllogism admits one absurdity, others must follow
7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / g. Particular being
15812 Being implies distinctness, which implies division, unity, and multitude
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 5. Naturalism
21268 Non-human things are explicable naturally, and voluntary things by the will, so God is not needed
9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 2. Hylomorphism / d. Form as unifier
16765 Humans only have a single substantial form, which contains the others and acts for them
11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 1. Certainty
23175 The conclusions of speculative reason about necessities are certain
11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 1. Perceptual Realism / b. Direct realism
21337 A knowing being possesses a further reality, the 'presence' of the thing known
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 2. Self-Evidence
21249 Some things are self-evident to us; others are only self-evident in themselves
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 8. A Priori as Analytic
21250 A proposition is self-evident if the predicate is included in the essence of the subject
12. Knowledge Sources / C. Rationalism / 1. Rationalism
20224 Sensation prepares the way for intellectual knowledge, which needs the virtues of reason
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 1. Faculties
22107 Sensations are transmitted to 'internal senses' in the brain, chiefly to 'phantasia' and 'imagination' [Kretzmann/Stump]
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 2. Imagination
9098 Mental activity combines what we sense with imagination of what is not present
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 3. Abstraction by mind
9092 Abstracting A from B generates truth, as long as the connection is not denied
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 5. Generalisation by mind
9093 We understand the general nature of things by ignoring individual peculiarities
9097 The mind abstracts generalities from images, but also uses images for understanding
9095 Very general ideas (being, oneness, potentiality) can be abstracted from thought matter in general
9099 Particular instances come first, and (pace Plato) generalisations are abstracted from them
10508 Species are abstracted from appearances by ignoring individual conditions
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 1. Nature of Free Will
22111 Aquinas attributes freedom to decisions and judgements, and not to the will alone [Kretzmann/Stump]
17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 1. Dualism
22105 The human intellectual soul is an incorporeal, subsistent principle
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 6. Judgement / a. Nature of Judgement
22108 First grasp what it is, then its essential features; judgement is their compounding and division
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought
10503 We abstract forms from appearances, and acquire knowledge of immaterial things
10509 Understanding consists entirely of grasping abstracted species
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 2. Abstracta by Selection
10506 Mathematics can be abstracted from sensible matter, and from individual intelligible matter
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 3. Abstracta by Ignoring
9094 Mathematical objects abstract both from perceived matter, and from particular substance
10505 We can just think of an apple's colour, because the apple is not part of the colour's nature
10504 Abstracting either treats something as separate, or thinks of it separately
10507 Numbers and shapes are abstracted by ignoring their sensible qualities
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 8. Abstractionism Critique
9096 The mind must produce by its own power an image of the individual species
20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 2. Willed Action / a. Will to Act
23180 The will is the rational appetite
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / b. Rational ethics
22112 For humans good is accordance with reason, and bad is contrary to reason
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 1. Nature of Value / e. Means and ends
22494 We must know the end, know that it is the end, and know how to attain it
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / b. Basis of virtue
23181 All acts of virtue relate to justice, which is directed towards the common good
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / d. Teaching virtue
8009 Aquinas wanted, not to escape desire, but to transform it for moral ends [MacIntyre]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / i. Absolute virtues
23182 Legal justice is supreme, because it directs the other virtues to the common good
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / b. Temperance
22399 Temperance prevents our passions from acting against reason
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / c. Justice
23177 Justice directs our relations with others, because it denotes a kind of equality
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice
23179 People differ in their social degrees, and a particular type of right applies to each
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 2. The Law / c. Natural law
22114 Tyrannical laws are irrational, and so not really laws
23174 Natural law is a rational creature's participation in eternal law
22113 Right and wrong actions pertain to natural law, as perceived by practical reason
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 1. War / a. Just wars
7291 For Aquinas a war must be in a just cause, have proper authority, and aim at good [Grayling]
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 3. Abortion
5508 Aquinas says a fertilized egg is not human, and has no immortal soul [Martin/Barresi]
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 7. Later Matter Theories / c. Matter as extension
16687 Bodies are three-dimensional substances
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / b. Euthyphro question
23178 Divine law commands some things because they are good, while others are good because commanded
28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / b. Ontological Proof critique
21251 We can't know God's essence, so his existence can't be self-evident for us
28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / a. Cosmological Proof
5614 If you assume that there must be a necessary being, you can't say which being has this quality [Kant]
21269 Way 1: the infinite chain of potential-to-actual movement has to have a first mover
21270 Way 2: no effect without a cause, and this cannot go back to infinity, so there is First Cause
21271 Way 3: contingent beings eventually vanish, so continuity needs a necessary being
21272 Way 4: the source of all qualities is their maximum, so something (God) causes all perfections
28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / b. Teleological Proof
21273 Way 5: mindless things act towards an obvious end, so there is an intelligent director
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity
20211 Life aims at the Beatific Vision - of perfect happiness, and revealed truth [Zagzebski]
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / c. Angels
22106 Aquinas saw angels as separated forms, rather than as made of 'spiritual matter' [Kretzmann/Stump]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / a. Immortality
23306 Humans have a non-physical faculty of reason, so they can be immortal [Sorabji]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / d. Heaven
4412 Those in bliss have their happiness increased by seeing the damned punished
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 3. Problem of Evil / a. Problem of Evil
21266 God does not exist, because He is infinite and good, and so no evil should be discoverable
21274 It is part of God's supreme goodness that He brings good even out of evil