summa-contra-gentiles

I70
THE SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES
But the intellect knows itself, and kno ws, that itunderstands
. Therefore intellect is not the same assgusfi-.
Further. Sense is
corrupted by ^n~excelling sensible.
But intellect is not corrupted by the excellence of the
intelligible in ; fact, he who understands greater things, can
afterwards better understand lesser things.^ Therefore the
sensitive power differs from the intellective.
CHAPTER LXVn
AGAINST THOSE WHO SAY THAT THE POSSIBLE INTELLECT IS
THE IMAGINATION
The opinion of those who held that the possible intellect is
not distinct from the imagination^ was akin to the foregoing.
But this is evidently false.
For imagination
is also in other animals. A sign of
this is that in the absence of sensibles they shun or seek
them, which would not be the case did they not retain an
imaginary apprehension of them. But intellect is not
in them, since they offer no evidence of intelligent
action. Therefore imagination and intellect are not the
same.
Further.
Imagination is only about things corporeal and
singular since the fancy is a movement caused by actual
:
sensation, as stated in De Animal But the intellect is about
universals and incorporeal things.
Therefore the possible
intellect is not the imagination.
Moreover, It is impossible for the same thing to be
mover and moved.
Now the phantasms move the possible^
intellect, as sensibles move the senses, as Aristotle states
(3 De Anima)* Therefore the possible intellect cannot be
the same as the imagination.
Further.
It is
proved in 3 De Anima'^ that the intellect is
not an act of a part of the body :
whereas the imagination
Ibid. iv. 5. ' Averroes, on 3 De Aninta.
*
'
3, iii. 13/
*
vii. 3.
» iv. 4.