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THE "SUMMA THEOLOGICA"

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QUESTION LXXXVIII.<br />

HOW <strong>THE</strong> HUMAN SOUL KNOWS WHAT IS ABOVE ITSELF.<br />

(In Three Articles.)<br />

WE must now consider how the human soul knows what<br />

is above itself, viz., immaterial substances. Under this<br />

head there are three points of inquiry: (x) Whether the<br />

human soul in the present state of life can understand the<br />

immaterial substances called angels, in themselves? (2)<br />

Whether it can arrive at the knowledge thereof by the<br />

knowledge of material things? (3) Whether God is the<br />

first object of our knowledge ?<br />

FIRST ARTICLE.<br />

WHE<strong>THE</strong>R <strong>THE</strong> HUMAN SOUL IN <strong>THE</strong> PRESENT STATE OF LIFE<br />

CAN UNDERSTAND IMMATERIAL SUBSTANCES IN <strong>THE</strong>M-<br />

SELVES ?<br />

We proced thus to the First A_ticle :_<br />

Objection I. It would seem that the human soul in the<br />

present state of life can understand immaterial substances<br />

in themselves. For Augustine (De Trin. ix. 3) says :As<br />

the mind itself acquires the knowledge of corporeal things<br />

by means of the corporeal senses, so it gains from itself the<br />

knowledge of incorporeal things. But these are the immaterial<br />

substances. Therefore the human mind understands<br />

immaterial substances.<br />

Obj. 2. Further, like is known by like. But the human<br />

mind is more akin to immaterial than to material things;<br />

since its own nature is immaterial, as is clear from what<br />

we have said above (Q. LXXVI., A. t). Since then our<br />

mind understands material things, much more is it able to<br />

understand immaterial things. 2_6

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