Abstract
The article presents a formalization of Thomas Aquinas proof for the indestructibility of the human soul. The author of the formalization—the first of its kind in the history of philosophy—is Father Joseph Maria Bocheński. The presentation involves no more than updating the logical symbolism used and accompanies the logical formulae with ordinary language paraphrases in order to ease the reader’s understanding of the formulae. “The fundamental idea of the Thomist proof is of utmost simplicity: things which are destructible are destructible either per se or per accidens; but the human soul is destructible neither per se nor per accidens: therefore the human soul is not destructible”. Bochenski’s words required him to devote considerable effort for the sake of precision of the symbolic language that would be maximally adequate to Thomas’ discourse. Moreover, I have thought it necessary to provide an ample commentary to the traditional and contemporary semantical presuppositions of Aquinas philosophical anthropology in light of Bocheński’s interpretation thereof.
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Notes
Leibniz (1996).
Cf. “« a » è una costante terminale che significa un individuo preso in suppositione simplici. Anima umana—forma pura (cioè cosa che è una forma e non contiene materia)” (Bocheński 1938,148).
Cf.: “L’idea centrale della prova tomistica è semplicissima: tutte le cose che sono corruttibili, sono corrutibili o per se o per accidens; ma l’anima umana non è corrutibile nè per se nè per accidens; dunque l’anima umana non è corruttibile” (Bocheński 1938, 149). Note that the word “non” is not present in the original text.
Cf.: “tutte le cose che sono corruttibili, sono corrutibili o per se o per accidens” (Bocheński 1938, 149).
Cf.: “l’anima umana non è corrutibile per accidens” (Bocheński 1938, 150).
Cf.: “l’anima umana è incorruttibile (Bocheński 1938, 150). Also, “Dusza ludzka nie może ulec zniszczeniu - chyba żeby zniszczała sama przez się - przez swoją naturę. Ale to jest zgoła niemożliwe nie tylko w odniesieniu do duszy ludzkiej, ale także do każdego bytu samoistnego, który jest samą formą tylko”, Fr. Pius Bełch (n.d.), 16), which translates: “the human soul could not be corrupted unless it were corrupted "per se." This, indeed, is impossible, not only as regards the human soul, but also as regards anything subsistent that is a form alone” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6).
Cf.: “L’idea principale di questa prova è la seguente: l’anima umana è susistente, dunque non è corruttibile per accidens” (Bocheński 1938, 151).
Cf.: “S. Tommaso non intende affermare che 2 – poichè non ogni cosa sussistente è corruttibile per se secondo lui” (Bocheński 1938, 152).
Cf.: “W ten bowiem sposób przysługuje jakiejś rzeczy powstawanie i uleganie zniszczeniu, w jaki sposób przysługuje istnienie” (Bełch (n.d.), 16), which translates: “For generation and corruption belong to a thing, just as existence belongs to it” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6).
Bełch (n.d.), p. 16, which translates: “For corruption is found only where there is contrariety” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6).
“The souls of brutes are not self-subsistent, whereas the human soul is” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6).
Bełch (n.d.),16, which translates: “it is impossible for any substance to be generated or corrupted accidentally” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6.
Cf.: “L’idea fondamentale è questa: nessuna forma pura (cioè nessuna cosa che è una forma e non contiene materia) è corruttibile, poichè l’esistenza conviene alla forma per se; ma l’anima umana è una tale forma; dunque non è corruttibile per se” (Bocheński 1938, 152).
“Is a form alone” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6).
“Dusza ludzka nie może ulec zniszczeniu - chyba żeby zniszczała sama przez się - przez swoją naturę. Ale to jest zgoła niemożliwe” Bełch (n.d.), 16, which translates: “the human soul could not be corrupted unless it were corrupted "per se." This, indeed, is impossible” (Aquinas 2008, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6).
References
Aquinas, S. T. (2008). Summa Theologiae, Part 1, Question 75, Article 6, available online at: http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/sth1075.html.
Aquinas, S. T. (2011). On being and essence, Chapter IV. In The Internet Medieval Source Book, available online at: <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/aquinas-esse.asp>.
Aristotle (1990), Posterior analytics, Book II, Chapter 7, 92b. In Adler, Mortimer J. (Ed.). Great books of the Western World. Book 7: Aristotle. Volume I. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Arystoteles (1990–2003). Dzieła wszystkie [Aristotle, Collected Works] (Vols. 1–7). Warszawa: PWN.
Bełch, P. (n.d.). Translator Suma Teologiczna. Tom 6, London: Katolicki Ośrodek Wydawniczy Veritas.
Bocheński, I. M. O. P. (1938) Nove Lezioni di Logica Simbolica. Appendice II. Analisi logica di un testo di S. Tommaso d’Aquino (I, 75, 6). Roma: Angelicum, Salita del Grillo, 1.
Leibniz, G. W. (1996). New essays on human understanding. In P. Remnant, J. Bennet (Eds.), Book IV, Chapter XII (p. 450). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Nieznański, E. The first formalized proof of the indestructibility of a subsistent form. Stud East Eur Thought 65, 65–73 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11212-013-9181-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11212-013-9181-y