In studying for exams (my Emery list on the beatific vision), I came across the following passage from Henry of Ghent, where he helpfully explains what he thinks intelligible species and the mental verbum are. As I am a newbie to Henrician studies, I make no claims as to whether this is what he thinks for his whole career. It is at least representative of what he thought in 1276, which is when his first Quodlibet was held, from which the following text is taken. Quodlibet III q. 1 actually has a lot more interesting remarks on this, but, well, it's not edited, and I don't own the Badius ed., and I'm at home. So enjoy this earlier discussion. Next time, maybe I'll post some crazy remarks from Dietrich of Freiberg.
Q. 12 et 13: Utrum anima separate itnelligat se per speciem editam a se
p.82 lin.10: Quod arbuebatur, quod intelligit se per speciem editam a se, quia in verbo suo, dicendum quod aliud est verbum de re apud animam, aliud species eius. Species enim est imago vel idolum rei qua anima informatur, ut determinatum verbum de ipsa re concipiat et formet de illa, quod nullo modo posset facere sine illa. Verbum autem est ipsa notitia mentis quae est veritas quidditatis rei apud animam, in qua formaliter rem intelligit quam per speciem intelligit tamquam potentia et vi formativa verbi in potentia animae existente, immo, quod verius est, tamquam dispositione determinante potentiam ad verbum determinatum formandum, quae de se indeterminata est...Unde est verbum sicut forma quaedam in anima generata potentia animae, sicut naturalis calor activus in semine, species vero in anima sicut virtus agentis principalis in calore. Unde, licet verbum sit quaedam similitude rei in anima, alia tamen est et alterius rationis quam sit species, sicut est species quaedam forma gtenerantis et virtus eius in semine, et forma generata, alterius tamen at alterius rationis. [...] dico quod species illa quae proprie appellatur species, a phantasmate et lumine intellectus agentis editur in toto intellectu possibili naturaliter, sicut naturaliter editur species coloris in organo per actum lucis.
8 comments:
Your transcribing stinks! Ha ha!
Sorry, that was immature. Very interesting.
well then, maybe i'll just stop altogether and no longer hurridly share the fruits of my research.
Aww, come on, don't be like that.
I haven't had any recent fruits, just putting the old fruits into shape. Surely our vast and devoted readership don't care why Alexander of Hales is better than William of Auxerre on the metaphysical constitution of the angels? Or do they?
Come on man, cough it up (but leave my new translation at the top for a day or two, at least I beg). I'm interested, and do you really think our devoted fans are going to read your dissertation? Probably your committee and I will be the only ones until the Parousia.
Br. E. might give it a shot.
There's a good article by Kent Emery on Henry's view of mental species. I can't recall the exact title. Something like 'hidden depths of the mind'. It's a pretty good article, on of the best I've read on Henry actually.
shane
Ah yes. It's "The Image of God Deep in the Mind: The Continuity of Cognition according to Henry of Ghent", in the 1277 volume. I've read it twice, and am going to have to read it again there's so much in there. Though, I work for the man, so I hear about this topic a lot.
Post a Comment