Ch. 30 "God's Essence the Only Species in His Understanding" From the "Compendium of Theology" by St. Thomas Aquinas
CHAPTER 30 GOD’S ESSENCE THE ONLY SPECIES IN HIS UNDERSTANDING
Patet etiam ex praedictis, quod Deus non intelligit per aliam speciem quam per essentiam suam.
The foregoing exposition makes it clear that God understands through no other species than through His essence.
Omnis enim intellectus intelligens per speciem aliam a se, comparatur ad illam speciem intelligibilem sicut potentia ad actum, cum species intelligibilis sit perfectio eius faciens ipsum intelligentem actu. Si igitur in Deo nihil est in potentia, sed est actus purus, oportet quod non per aliam speciem, sed per essentiam suam intelligat;
The reason is, that any intellect which understands through a species other than itself, is related to that intelligible species as potency to act. For an intelligible species is a perfection of the intellect, causing it to understand in act. Therefore, if nothing in God is in potency, but He is pure act, He must understand through His own essence, and not through any other kind of species.
et inde sequitur quod directe et principaliter se ipsum intelligat. Essentia enim rei non ducit proprie et directe in cognitionem alicuius nisi eius cuius est essentia: nam per definitionem hominis proprie cognoscitur homo, et per definitionem equi, equus. Si igitur Deus est per essentiam suam intelligens, oportet quod id quod est intellectum ab eo directe et principaliter, sit ipse Deus. Et cum ipse sit sua essentia, sequitur quod in eo intelligens et quo intelligit et intellectum sint omnino idem.
In consequence of this, He directly and principally understands Himself. For the essence of a thing does not properly and directly lead to the knowledge of anything else than of that being whose essence it is. Thus man is properly known through the definition of man, and horse is known through the definition of horse. Therefore, if God understands through His essence, that which is directly and principally understood by Him must be God Himself. And, since God is His own essence, it follows that, in Him, understanding and that whereby He understands and that which is understood are absolutely identical.
Patet etiam ex praedictis, quod Deus non intelligit per aliam speciem quam per essentiam suam.
The foregoing exposition makes it clear that God understands through no other species than through His essence.
Omnis enim intellectus intelligens per speciem aliam a se, comparatur ad illam speciem intelligibilem sicut potentia ad actum, cum species intelligibilis sit perfectio eius faciens ipsum intelligentem actu. Si igitur in Deo nihil est in potentia, sed est actus purus, oportet quod non per aliam speciem, sed per essentiam suam intelligat;
The reason is, that any intellect which understands through a species other than itself, is related to that intelligible species as potency to act. For an intelligible species is a perfection of the intellect, causing it to understand in act. Therefore, if nothing in God is in potency, but He is pure act, He must understand through His own essence, and not through any other kind of species.
et inde sequitur quod directe et principaliter se ipsum intelligat. Essentia enim rei non ducit proprie et directe in cognitionem alicuius nisi eius cuius est essentia: nam per definitionem hominis proprie cognoscitur homo, et per definitionem equi, equus. Si igitur Deus est per essentiam suam intelligens, oportet quod id quod est intellectum ab eo directe et principaliter, sit ipse Deus. Et cum ipse sit sua essentia, sequitur quod in eo intelligens et quo intelligit et intellectum sint omnino idem.
In consequence of this, He directly and principally understands Himself. For the essence of a thing does not properly and directly lead to the knowledge of anything else than of that being whose essence it is. Thus man is properly known through the definition of man, and horse is known through the definition of horse. Therefore, if God understands through His essence, that which is directly and principally understood by Him must be God Himself. And, since God is His own essence, it follows that, in Him, understanding and that whereby He understands and that which is understood are absolutely identical.
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