Order in the Philosophy of Nature

ORDER IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE ORDER is an outstanding characteristic of the man of wisdom.1 He is a man who has discovered and observed the due order in his reasoning processes. He has imposed a rational order over the acts of his will and emotions. And he stands in wonderment at the great order of all nature, an order that he himself has not made, but only contemplates.2 It is the discovery of order-of logos-in the world that impels him to set up a science of nature by which he will understand the intelligible necessities and manifold beauties of the universe that is his home. As a man of wisdom the philosopher of nature seeks not only the order inherent in reality itself, but also an order for investigating that reality.3 For he realizes that not only the exigencies of the real order, but also those of the order of his mind will rule the development of his science. When the natural philosopher is a teacher as well as a searcher for wisdom, he knows that his exposition will have to be modified by another order, that required to direct the minds of his students to the comprehension of the truths amassed by a long tradition of devoted masters. No arbitrary plan of investigation nor casual order of treatment will do justice to the science of nature. There must be a definite order that will be the result of the interplay of several factors on the science-factors whose demands are essential. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas, In Metaphysicam Aristotdis Commentaria (ed. Cathala) Proemium; In Decem Libros Ethicorum Aristotdis ad Nichomachum Expositio (ed. Pirotta), I, 1, n. 1-2; Summa Theologiae, I, 1, 6; 1-11, 102, I; Summa Contra Gentes, I, 1; II, 24. • Cf. St. Thomas, In De Physico Auditu Aristotdis (ed. Leonina), VIII, 3, n. 3; Sum. cont. Gent., II, 24. • " Processus scientiarum est opus rationis, cujus proprium est ordinare; unde in omni opere rationis ordo aliquis invenitur, secundum quem proceditur ab uno in aliud" (St. Thomas, In I De Cado et Mundo [ed. Leonina] Proem., n. 1). 40~ ORDER IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE 403 To ignore these will severely blemish the science achieved and particularly the teaching of that science. It will be profitable, therefore, to make a synthetic study of the principles of order governing the philosophy of nature. Two texts of St. Thomas can serve to introduce the question. The concept of order includes three elements: first, the idea of before and after; hence there is order in all those ways by which one thing can be before another, by place, time, and so forth. Order also includes distinction, because only distinct things have any order. But this is rather presupposed than signified by the word "order." The third element is a principle of order, according to which order is divided into its species. Hence there is an order according to place, another according to dignity, and another according to origin.4 Succession, distinction, and a principle of order: all these are pertinent to the consideration of order in the philosophy of nature. St. Thomas elaborates on the principle of order in the second text: Order always has reference to some principle. Therefore, since there are many kinds of principle-namely, according to site, as a point; according to intellect, as the principle of demonstration; and according to each individual cause-so there are many kinds of order.5 It is the order according to intellect that mainly interests us, because we are here considering the problem of ordering a science. The principle of that order will in some way coincide with " the principle of demonstration." Since demonstration is the means for achieving scientific knowledge, the order within •" Ordo in ratione sua includit tria, scil. rationem prioris et posterioris; unde secundum omnes illos modos potest dici esse ordo aliquorum, secundum quos aliquis altero prius dicitur et secundum locum et secundum tempus et secundum omnia huiusmodi. lncludit etiam distinctionem, quia non est ordo aliquorum nisi distinctorum . Sed hoc magis praesupponit nomen ordinis, quam significet. lncludit etiam tertio rationem ordinis, ex qua etiam ordo in speciem contrahitur. Unde unus est...