summa-contra-gentiles

CHAPTER LXXIX
2^
however, through the weakening of the organ. This is
made clear as follows. If some weakness were essentially
attached to the power, the latter would never be repaired
through the organ being repaired yet we see that, however
much the power of sight may seem to be weakened, : if
the organ be repaired, the sight is repaired : wherefore
Aristotle says (i De AnimaY that if an old man ivere to be
given the eye of a young -man, he would certainly see as well
as a young man does. Accordingly, since the intellect is a
power of the soul that needs no organ, as shown above,' it
is not weakened, either essentially or accidentally, by old
age or any other bodily w^eakness. If, on the other hand,
the operation of the intellect happen to be affected by
fatigue or some hindrance on account of the weakness of
the body, this is owing not to weakness of the intellect
but to the weakness of the powers which the intellect
itself,
needs, namely of the imagination, memory, and cogitative
power. It is therefore clear that the intellect is incorruptible.
Consequently the human soul is also, since it is an intellective
substance.
This is also proved from the authority of Aristotle. For
he says (i
De AnimaY that the intellect is clearly a sub-
from what
stance and incorruptible
: and it may be gathered
has been already said* that this cannot refer to a separate
substance that is either the possible or the active intellect.
It also follows from the very words of Aristotle
(11 Metaph.),^ where he says, speaking against Plato, that
moving causes pre-exist, whereas formal causes are simultaneous
with the things whereof they are causes :
for when a
man is healed, then is there health, and not before; against
Plato's statement that the forms of things exist before the
things themselves. And, after saying this, he goes on to
say As to whether anything remains :
afterwards, this must
be inquired into. For in some this is not impossible
:
for
example, if the soul be of a certain kind, not of any kind,
but if it be intellectual. From which it is clear, since he is
* »v- * 13.
Chs. Ixi., Ixrviii.
* Ch. lx\'iii.
* D. 11, iii. 5.
» Loc. cii.