Chapter 17

The subject of the following two books

1276. So far, we have 1. reduced all the potencies of the soul to unity, that is, to the essence of the soul itself; 2. we have overcome the ontological difficulties impeding the explanation of the soul's transient acts, that is, of its operations; 3. at the same time, we have investigated the nature of these acts, their explanation and the way in which they appear and disappear. We are now on sure ground and able to deal with the argument we have undertaken, that is, the exposition of the laws which govern different operations of the soul.

The soul, however, is one and simple, and all its actions are ultimately reduced to the rational principle in which the final and complete essence of the soul itself properly consists. Consequently, if we succeed in suitably expounding the laws according to which the rational principle acts and suffers, we shall have kept our promise and carried out our purpose.

1277. There are, however, two principles of action in the human being, one is the human being, the other is in the human being. The former is the rational principle, the latter the animal principle. When we say that the human being is composed of body and soul, we have to understand that we are speaking of an animated body, and of a rational soul. The human being is not divided by placing brute matter on one side and the sensitive, rational soul on the other. The intellective soul is the form of a sensitive body, not of naked matter.(142) This does not destroy, but rather confirms, the unity of the soul, which is the supreme principle of feeling in so far as it perceives feeling as entity. This also explains, as we have said, why sensitive activity in the human being is sometimes opposed to the rational, human principle. The fundamental perception, although destined to dominate sensitive activity, does not destroy it. Otherwise, there could be no contradiction and struggle between animality and reason without the existence of two souls.

I shall, therefore, dedicate the following book [Book 4] to explaining the laws according to which the human being acts. By human being I mean the rational principle which has in itself feeling under the essential relationship of entity. In the next book, the fifth [Laws of Animality], I shall explain the laws according to which the animal principle considered per se acts. In other words, I shall deal with the animal principle under the essential relationship of sensility. This animal principle is not the human being, but is in the human being. In dealing with the sensitive principle, I shall also speak when necessary of the activity, the sensiferous power which, although different from the sensitive principle, is nevertheless manifested in it and sometimes struggles with it.

Notes

(142) In the Bible, the human being is flesh and spirit . The Bible always speaks of the flesh as living and fighting with the spirit; it does not speak of dead flesh. This is the true, philosophical division of the principles which make up the human being.