ccore/rhetoric-saint-thomas-aquinas

---
license: mit
---

Whether God Is Composed of Matter and Form?

Objection 1: It seems that God is composed of matter and form. For
whatever has a soul is composed of matter and form; since the soul is
the form of the body. But Scripture attributes a soul to God; for it
is mentioned in Hebrews (Heb. 10:38), where God says: "But My just man
liveth by faith; but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please My
soul." Therefore God is composed of matter and form.

Objection 2: Further, anger, joy and the like are passions of the
composite. But these are attributed to God in Scripture: "The Lord was
exceeding angry with His people" (Ps. 105:40). Therefore God is
composed of matter and form.

Objection 3: Further, matter is the principle of individualization.
But God seems to be individual, for He cannot be predicated of many.
Therefore He is composed of matter and form.

Contrary: Whatever is composed of matter and form is a body;
for dimensive quantity is the first property of matter. But God is not
a body as proved in the preceding Article; therefore He is not
composed of matter and form.

Response: It is impossible that matter should exist in God.
First, because matter is in potentiality. But we have shown (Q. 2, A. 3)
that God is pure act, without any potentiality. Hence it is
impossible that God should be composed of matter and form. Secondly,
because everything composed of matter and form owes its perfection and
goodness to its form; therefore its goodness is participated, inasmuch
as matter participates the form. Now the first good and the
best--viz. God--is not a participated good, because the essential
good is prior to the participated good. Hence it is impossible that
God should be composed of matter and form. Thirdly, because every
agent acts by its form; hence the manner in which it has its form is
the manner in which it is an agent. Therefore whatever is primarily
and essentially an agent must be primarily and essentially form. Now
God is the first agent, since He is the first efficient cause. He is
therefore of His essence a form; and not composed of matter and form.

Reply Objection 1: A soul is attributed to God because His acts
resemble the acts of a soul; for, that we will anything, is due to our
soul. Hence what is pleasing to His will is said to be pleasing to His
soul.

Reply Objection 2: Anger and the like are attributed to God on
account of a similitude of effect. Thus, because to punish is properly
the act of an angry man, God's punishment is metaphorically spoken of
as His anger.

Reply Objection 3: Forms which can be received in matter are
individualized by matter, which cannot be in another as in a subject
since it is the first underlying subject; although form of itself,
unless something else prevents it, can be received by many. But that
form which cannot be received in matter, but is self-subsisting, is
individualized precisely because it cannot be received in a subject;
and such a form is God. Hence it does not follow that matter exists in
God.
_______________________

原始信息汇总

数据集概述

主题

• 探讨神是否由物质和形式构成。

论点

1. 论点1：圣经中提到神有灵魂，而灵魂是身体的形体，因此神由物质和形式构成。
2. 论点2：圣经中提到神的愤怒和喜悦等情感，这些是复合体的特征，因此神由物质和形式构成。
3. 论点3：物质是个体化的原则，神似乎是个体，因此神由物质和形式构成。

反驳

• 反驳：任何由物质和形式构成的都是物体，但神不是物体，因此神不由物质和形式构成。

回应

• 回应：
  • 物质存在于潜在状态，而神是纯粹的行动，没有潜在状态，因此神不由物质和形式构成。
  • 由物质和形式构成的事物依赖其形式获得完美和善，而神是最初的善，不是参与的善，因此神不由物质和形式构成。
  • 每个行动者通过其形式行动，因此首要和本质的行动者必须是首要和本质的形式。神是第一行动者，因此神本质上是形式，不由物质和形式构成。

对论点的回复

1. 回复论点1：神的灵魂被提及是因为神的行动类似于灵魂的行动，因此符合神的意愿被认为是符合神的灵魂。
2. 回复论点2：愤怒等情感被归于神是因为效果的相似性，例如惩罚是愤怒者的行为，因此神的惩罚被比喻为神的愤怒。
3. 回复论点3：能被物质接受的形式由物质个体化，而不能被物质接受的自存形式个体化，因为它们不能被接受在主体中，这样的形式是神，因此神不由物质和形式构成。