Appendix 19.

(565) [St. Thomas and innate principles]

Retinet [memoria] nihilominus scientiarum principia et dignitates ut sempiternalia et sempiternaliter, quia nunquam potest sic oblivisci eorum (dummodo ratione utatur), quin ea audita approbet, et eis assentiat, non tanquam de novo percipiat, sed tanquam SIBI INNATA et familiaria recognoscat [(The memory) retains forever the principles and standards of systematic knowledge because of their everlasting quality. It can never forget them (as long as it uses reason) because in giving them its approval and assent it recognises them as INNATE and familiar. These principles are never something newly perceived] (Itin. mentis etc. c. 3). This is a very acute observation of fact, of the type neglected by modern sensists, despite their lip-service to facts which, even if neglected, can never be entirely ignored.

St. Thomas is of the same opinion as the author of the Itinerarium. Prima principia, QUORUM COGNITIO EST NOBIS INNATA, sunt quaedam similitudines increatae veritatis [The first principles, KNOWLEDGE OF WHICH IS INNATE IN US, are certain likenesses of uncreated truth] (De Verit., q. 10, art. 6, ad 6). He often repeats this teaching, as in the following passage: In eo qui docetur, scientia praeexistebat, non quidem in actu completo, sed quasi in rationibus seminalibus secundum quod universales conceptiones, quarum cognitio est NOBIS NATURALITER INSITA* , sunt quasi semina quaedam omnium sequentium cognitorum [Knowledge is already present in the student, but not completely. It lies there in seminal notions because the universal conceptions whose knowledge IS NATURALLY PRESENT TO US are like seeds containing all that we shall ever know] (De Verit., q. 11, art. 1, ad 5).

My interpretation of these passages requires that 'innate' and 'naturally present to us' be understood in the sense that the first principles are present in our first acts of reason or (and it comes to the same thing) when we first use the idea of being, which alone is innate strictly speaking and corresponds to St. Thomas' acting intellect. In order to see the truth of my interpretation it is sufficient to compare what St. Thomas says above with the following: In lumine intellectus agentis nobis est quodammodo omnis scientia originaliter indita, mediantibus universalibus conceptionibus, quae statim LUMINE INTELLECTUS AGENTIS* cognoscuntur, per quas sicut per universalia principia judicamus de aliis, et ea praecognoscimus in ipsis [All knowledge is placed within us originally in the light of the acting intellect, through universal conceptions which are known immediately BY THE LIGHT OF THE ACTING INTELLECT. These universal conceptions are as it were universal principles through which we judge of other things, which we know beforehand in them] (De Verit., q. 10, art. 6).