CATEGORY: MOVIES
There is some material of interest on the concept of God's simplicity, in Aquinas's Compendium of Theology. Below is quoted Part 1 of the Compendium, numbers 16 and 17 (from the Regan translation):[a]
16. God Cannot Be a Material Substance
"And it is further clear that God himself cannot be a material substance. For we find a composition in every material substance, since every material substance is something having parts. Therefore, what is altogether simple cannot be a material substance.
"Second, material substances cause motion only by being moved, as is evident in all such things to those who study them. Therefore, the first cause of motion, if it is altogether immovable, cannot be a material substance."
17. God Cannot Be the Form of a Material Substance
"Nor can God be the form of, or a power in, a material substance. For, inasmuch as every material substance can be moved, things in a material substance are necessarily moved, at least by accident, when a material substance is moved. But the first cause of motion cannot be moved intrinsically or accidentally, since it is necessarily altogether immovable, as I have shown [I, 4]. Therefore, it cannot be the form or power in a material substance." (material inside square brackets in original).
Note that the above suggests 'things and that which moves them', and is thus suggestive of the idea of marionettes (puppets operated from above by strings), an idea made use of by Aurelius in his Meditations, as previously mentioned.
a. Thomas Aquinas. Compendium of Theology. Trans. with introduction Richard J. Regan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. pp. 25-26.
Monday, May 11, 2009
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Saint Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica from the 'Logos Virtual Library' website (except where otherwise noted), compiled and edited by Darren L. Slider; believed to be in public domain.