Commentary on the Book of Causes
[Super Librum De Causis Expositio]
Translated and annotated by
Vincent A. Guagliardo, O.P.
Charles R. Hess, O.P.
Richard C. Taylor
Introduction by
Vincent A. Guagliardo, O.P.
The Catholic University of America Press
Washington, D.C.
The Catholic University of America Press
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?–1274.
[Super librum de causis expositio. English]
Commentary on the Book of causes / St. Thomas Aquinas; translated and annotated by Vincent A. Guagliardo, Charles R. Hess, Richard C. Taylor; introduction by Vincent A. Guagliardo.
p. cm.—(Thomas Aquinas in translation)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Liber de causis. 2. Causation—Early works to 1800.
I. Guagliardo, Vincent A., 1944–1995. II. Hess, Charles R., 1922–. III. Taylor, Richard C., 1950–. IV. Title. V. Series.
BD530.L533T47 1996
122—dc20
95-22559
ISBN 0-8132-0843-2 (cl).—ISBN 0-8132-0844-0 (pa)
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF CAUSES
[The Principle of the Entire Work]
[The Three Grades of Universal Causes]
[The Unity of Universal Causes through the Ultimate Cause]
[Intelligences]
[Souls]
[The First Cause]
[The Substance of an Intelligence]
[An Intelligence’s Knowledge of Higher and Lower Things]
[An Intelligence’s Knowledge of What Is above It]
[How an Intelligence Knows]
[An Intelligence Knows Eternal Things]
[Intelligences Know One Another]
[How an Intelligence Knows Itself]
[The Soul in Relation to Other Things]
[The Soul in Itself]
[The Dependency of Unlimited Powers on the First Infinite Power]
[The Assimilation of Unlimited Powers to the First Infinite Power]
[Universal Dependence on the First Cause]
[Degrees of Participation in the First Cause]
[Divine Rule]
[Divine Abundance]
[Divine Excellence]
[Rule of an Intelligence]
[Perfections Diversely Received]
[Ingenerable Substances]
[Incorruptible Substances]
[Corruptible Substances]
[The Simplicity of Steadfastly Abiding Substances]
[The Steadfast Abidingness of Simple Substances]
[Temporal Things]
[Eternal Things]
[The Condition of the Soul]
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About Commentary on the Book of CausesThe Book of Causes, highly influential in the medieval university, was commonly, but incorrectly, understood to be the completion of Aristotle’s metaphysics. It was Thomas Aquinas who first judged it to have been abstracted from Proclus’ Elements of Theology, presumably by an unknown Arabic author, who added to it ideas of his own. The Book of Causes is of particular interest because themes that appear in it are echoed in the metaphysics of Aquinas: its treatment of being (esse) as proceeding from the First Creating Cause; the triadic scheme of being, living, and knowing; and the general scheme of participation in which “all is in all.” Thus, the Book of Causes provides a historical backdrop for understanding and appreciating Aquinas’ development of these themes in his metaphysics. Thomas’ Commentary on the Book of Causes, composed during the first half of 1272, is a distinct philosophical work in its own right. It provides an extended view of his approach to Neoplatonic thought and functions as a guide to his metaphysics. Though long neglected and, until now, never translated into English, it deserves an equal place alongside his commentaries on Aristotle and Boethius. In addition to the extensive annotation, bibliography, and thorough introduction, this translation is accompanied by two valuable appendixes. The first provides a translation of another version of proposition 29 of the Book of Causes, which was not known to St. Thomas. The second lists citations of the Book of Causes found in the works of St. Thomas and cross-references these to a list showing the works, and the exact location within them, where the citations can be found. |
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