The Subject of Predicamental Action According to John of St. Thomas

THE SUBJECT OF PREDICAl\1ENTAL ACTION ACCORDING TO JOHN OF ST. THOMAS unfortunate and somewhat embarrassing diversity of opinions exists among Thomistic writers on the subject of predicamental action. Some say action is in the agent; 1 others say in the patient; 2 still others say in both agent and patient.3 Such diversity is unfortunate because it indicates a lack of clarity, and leads one to agree appreciatively with the frank statement of one writer: " As regards the exact manner in which action causes the transition from potency to act in the recipient, we can only say that its nature is too profound to be penetrated by our intellect." 4 The diversity of Thomistic opinions is also embarrassing, for lack of clarity on the subject of predicamental action means of clarity on predicamental action itself. And this lack has its repercussions on our notion of efficient causality, the exercise of which is action, and on our analogical notions of the divine action and all virtually transient actions. The matter is difficult. The variety of opinions proves that. Yet this article is written from the conviction that a careful and precise analysis of the thought of John of St. Thomas will give a clear, understandable answer to t.he problem of the subject of p:redicamental action and of the nature of predicamental action. The doctrine of John of St. Thomas on the subject expresses the reality, is in full conformity with the 1 Gredt, Joseph, Elementa Philosophiae Aristotelico-Thomisticae, ed. Sa, (Barcelc >na: Herder, 1946), I, nn. !i!Sl-284. 2 Pirotta, Angelus M., Summa Philosophiae Aristotelico-Thomisticae, (Turin: Marietti, 1936), II, nn. 259-264. 3 Hugon, E. Cursus Philosophiae Thomisticae, (Paris: Lethielleux, 1907), II, n. 262; Maquart, F.-X. Elementa Philosophiae, (Paris: Blot, 1937), II, .p. 104. 4 Van Laer, Henry. Philosophico-Scientific Problems (Duquesne Studies, Philosophi ~al Series, No. 3), tr. by Henry J. Koren. (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1953), p. 67. 366 THE SUBJECT OF PREDICAMENTAL ACTION 367 teaching of St. Thomas and reconciles the opinions of opposing authors. To place the problem in perspective, the first main section will treat of action; the second section will consider the proper problem of the article-the subject of predicamental action; the final section will be a brief evaluation of the presented doctrine of John of St. Thomas. A. AcTION No doubt can exist as to the reality of efficient causality. The fact that one rabbit plus one rabbit can result in nine rabbits is explained only by the causal action of generation, not by any axiom of arithmetic. Yet the explanation of the nature of efficient causality (or, of the nature of action) is difficult. For an efficient cause is an extrinsic principle of the effect; it causes something new in the effect. The efficient cause does not give a part of itself, it causes something new and something intrinsic. How can the intrinsic be explained by the extrinsic? The answer, of course, lies in the notion of action, principally as realized in the participative action of God, and secondarily, but just as truly, as realized in the transient action of creatures. Accordingly, the first consideration will be of 'action as such; the second, of the participative action of God; the third, of the transient action of creatures. 1. Action as Such The realization that action ut sic is never found in a " pure " state is of help in grasping the precise concept of action. For · action is either joined to an operation of a higher type, or includes elements not essential to it as action, but only as it is talis actio. Spiritual substances, divine and angelic, are true causes with respect to things outside themselves; yet their causative action is not found " alone," but is identical with an operation of a different sort. The divine and angelic causative actions are immanent actions of intellect and will, as imperating the exterior effect to be.· On the other hand, action as it is talis actio requires mutation of the agent and mutation of the 868 DECLAN KANE patient. These two requirements hold both for angelic action and predicamental action, which is transient action formally. Now, what is...