Volume 1 · p. 36
Chapter VII. In what way the universal is produced into being.
CAPUT VII.
Qualiter universale producatur in esse.
Multos etiam movet, qualiter universale producitur philosophice, et non de productione illa qua cuncta in natura procreatione producit Deus: secundum physicam enim nihil creatur, nisi quod producitur nullo quodam alio producto: et sic solum ens producitur per creationem, alia autem per informationem producuntur, sicut in scientia libri causarum est determinatum 1. Hoc ergo modo quaeratur, qualiter universale in esse producitur? cum enim productum producentis intelligentiae et agentis fit terminus, et producere et agere per intellectum, terminus autem actionis sit compositum et hoc aliquid: cum universale producatur, videtur quod universale sit compositum et hoc aliquid. Hoc autem falsum est, cum universale sit forma, et quale quid, et non hoc aliquid.
Hoc autem adhuc videtur ex eo, quod id quod ab intelligentia in esse producitur, per exemplar et ideam, est in ipsa: non autem per ideam et exemplar est in intelligentia, nisi quod est hoc aliquid et compositum: aliter enim oporteret, quod plures essent ideae ejusdem, quaedam quidem secundum formam, quaedam secundum materiam, et quaedam secundum genus, aut secundum speciem, et quaedam secundum differentias: quod valde est absurdum.
Adhuc autem oportet quod omnia producantur ab agente intelligentia in quantum sunt in natura perfecta, et hoc aliquid existentia. Si ergo ab agente intelligentia, quae causa prima est, sive aliquid aliud secundarum causarum, universale producitur, videtur quod universale sit hoc aliquid et compositum ex materia et forma.
Adhuc autem videtur hoc ex hoc quod ars imitatur naturam in quantum potest 2. Quod autem ab artifice producitur et est in artifice per modum exemplaris, non est forma simplex, sed compositum, ut domus vel tripoda. Sic ergo videtur etiam fieri in productione intelligentiae in natura: supponimus enim, quod totum opus naturae est opus intelligentiae agentis, cujus virtus etiam informat semen generationis, ex quo res naturae producuntur.
Adhuc autem in omni natura productum semper est res naturae. Res autem naturae non est nisi hypostasis communi naturae supposita et substans per seipsam. Taliter autem substans naturae communi, individuum et singulare est. Si ergo universale sic producitur, sequitur quod universale sit singulare: quod est inconveniens.
Ad omnia autem haec et his similia non est difficile respondere. Universale enim
CHAPTER VII.
In what way the universal is produced into being.
It also moves many in what way the universal is produced philosophically, and not concerning that production by which God produces all things in nature by procreation: for according to physics nothing is created except what is produced with no other thing already produced; and thus only being is produced through creation, but other things are produced through information, as has been determined in the science of the Book of Causes 1. Therefore in this mode let it be asked in what way the universal is produced into being. For since the product of a producing and acting intelligence becomes the term, and producing and acting is through intellect, but the term of action is a composite and this something: since the universal is produced, it seems that the universal is composite and this something. But this is false, since the universal is form, and a quale quid, and not this something.
But this still seems from this, that what is produced into being by intelligence is in it through exemplar and idea; but there is not in intelligence through idea and exemplar anything except what is this something and composite. Otherwise it would be necessary that there be several ideas of the same thing, some indeed according to form, some according to matter, and some according to genus, or according to species, and some according to differences; which is very absurd.
Further, it is necessary that all things be produced by the acting intelligence insofar as they are in perfected nature and existing as this something. Therefore if the universal is produced by the acting intelligence, which is the first cause, or by some other of the secondary causes, it seems that the universal is this something and composite from matter and form.
Further, this seems from the fact that art imitates nature insofar as it can 2. But what is produced by an artificer and is in the artificer by the mode of an exemplar is not a simple form, but a composite, as a house or tripods. Therefore thus it seems also to happen in the production of intelligence in nature: for we suppose that the whole work of nature is the work of the acting intelligence, whose power also informs the seed of generation, from which the things of nature are produced.
Further, in every nature the thing produced is always a thing of nature. But a thing of nature is nothing except a hypostasis placed under a common nature and standing by itself. But what stands under a common nature in such a way is an individual and singular. Therefore, if the universal is produced in this way, it follows that the universal is singular, which is unfitting.
But to all these and things similar to these it is not difficult to respond. For the universal
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