Quaestio 14 Question 14 De scientia Dei God’s Knowledge Post considerationem eorum quae ad divinam substantiam pertinent, restat considerandum de his quae pertinent ad operationem ipsius. Having considered what belongs to the divine substance, we have now to treat of God’s operation. Et quia operatio quaedam est quae manet in operante, quaedam vero quae procedit in exteriorem effectum, primo agemus de scientia et voluntate (nam intelligere in intelligente est, et velle in volente); et postmodum de potentia Dei, quae consideratur ut principium operationis divinae in effectum exteriorem procedentis. And since one kind of operation is immanent, and another kind of operation proceeds to the exterior effect, we treat first of knowledge and of will (for understanding abides in the intelligent agent, and will is in the one who wills); and afterwards of the power of God, the principle of the divine operation as proceeding to the exterior effect. Quia vero intelligere quoddam vivere est, post considerationem divinae scientiae, considerandum erit de vita divina. Now because to understand is a kind of life, after treating of the divine knowledge, we consider the divine life. Et quia scientia verorum est, erit etiam considerandum de veritate et falsitate. And as knowledge concerns truth, we consider truth and falsehood. Rursum, quia omne cognitum in cognoscente est, rationes autem rerum secundum quod sunt in Deo cognoscente, ideae vocantur, cum consideratione scientiae erit etiam adiungenda consideratio de ideis. Further, as everything known is in the knower, and the types of things as existing in the knowledge of God are called ideas, to the consideration of knowledge will be added the treatment of ideas. Circa scientiam vero quaeruntur sexdecim. Concerning knowledge, there are sixteen points for inquiry: Primo, utrum in Deo sit scientia. (1) Whether there is knowledge in God? Secundo, utrum Deus intelligat seipsum. (2) Whether God understands Himself? Tertio, utrum comprehendat se. (3) Whether He comprehends Himself? Quarto, utrum suum intelligere sit sua substantia. (4) Whether His understanding is His substance? Quinto, utrum intelligat alia a se. (5) Whether He understands other things besides Himself? Sexto, utrum habeat de eis propriam cognitionem. (6) Whether He has a proper knowledge of them? Septimo, utrum scientia Dei sit discursiva. (7) Whether the knowledge of God is discursive? Octavo, utrum scientia Dei sit causa rerum. (8) Whether the knowledge of God is the cause of things? Nono, utrum scientia Dei sit eorum quae non sunt. (9) Whether God has knowledge of non-existing things? Decimo, utrum sit malorum. (10) Whether He has knowledge of evil? Undecimo, utrum sit singularium. (11) Whether He has knowledge of individual things? Duodecimo, utrum sit infinitorum. (12) Whether He knows the infinite? Decimotertio, utrum sit contingentium futurorum. (13) Whether He knows future contingent things? Decimoquarto, utrum sit enuntiabilium. (14) Whether He knows enunciable things? Decimoquinto, utrum scientia Dei sit variabilis. (15) Whether the knowledge of God is variable? Decimosexto, utrum Deus de rebus habeat speculativam scientiam vel practicam. (16) Whether God has speculative or practical knowledge of things? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum in Deo sit scientia Whether there is knowledge in God? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod in Deo non sit scientia. Scientia enim habitus est, qui Deo non competit, cum sit medius inter potentiam et actum. Ergo scientia non est in Deo. Objection 1: It seems that in God there is not knowledge. For knowledge is a habit; and habit does not belong to God, since it is the mean between potentiality and act. Therefore knowledge is not in God. Praeterea, scientia, cum sit conclusionum, est quaedam cognitio ab alio causata, scilicet ex cognitione principiorum. Sed nihil causatum est in Deo. Ergo scientia non est in Deo. Obj. 2: Further, since science is about conclusions, it is a kind of knowledge caused by something else which is the knowledge of principles. But nothing is caused in God; therefore science is not in God. Praeterea, omnis scientia vel universalis vel particularis est. Sed in Deo non est universale et particulare, ut ex superioribus patet; ergo in Deo non est scientia. Obj. 3: Further, all knowledge is universal or particular. But in God there is no universal or particular (Q. 3, A. 5). Therefore in God there is not knowledge. Sed contra est quod Apostolus dicit Rom. XI, o altitudo divitiarum sapientiae et scientiae Dei. On the contrary, The Apostle says, O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God (Rom 11:33). Respondeo dicendum quod in Deo perfectissime est scientia. Ad cuius evidentiam, considerandum est quod cognoscentia a non cognoscentibus in hoc distinguuntur, quia non cognoscentia nihil habent nisi formam suam tantum; sed cognoscens natum est habere formam etiam rei alterius, nam species cogniti est in cognoscente. Unde manifestum est quod natura rei non cognoscentis est magis coarctata et limitata, natura autem rerum cognoscentium habet maiorem amplitudinem et extensionem. Propter quod dicit Philosophus, III De Anima, quod anima est quodammodo omnia. I answer that, In God there exists the most perfect knowledge. To prove this, we must note that intelligent beings are distinguished from non-intelligent beings in that the latter possess only their own form; whereas the intelligent being is naturally adapted to have also the form of some other thing; for the idea of the thing known is in the knower. Hence it is manifest that the nature of a non-intelligent being is more contracted and limited; whereas the nature of intelligent beings has a greater amplitude and extension; therefore the Philosopher says (De Anima iii) that the soul is in a sense all things. Coarctatio autem formae est per materiam. Unde et supra diximus quod formae, secundum quod sunt magis immateriales, secundum hoc magis accedunt ad quandam infinitatem. Patet igitur quod immaterialitas alicuius rei est ratio quod sit cognoscitiva; et secundum modum immaterialitatis est modus cognitionis. Unde in II De Anima dicitur quod plantae non cognoscunt, propter suam materialitatem. Sensus autem cognoscitivus est, quia receptivus est specierum sine materia, et intellectus adhuc magis cognoscitivus, quia magis separatus est a materia et immixtus, ut dicitur in III De Anima. Unde, cum Deus sit in summo immaterialitatis, ut ex superioribus patet, sequitur quod ipse sit in summo cognitionis. Now the contraction of the form comes from the matter. Hence, as we have said above (Q. 7, A. 1), forms according as they are the more immaterial, approach more nearly to a kind of infinity. Therefore it is clear that the immateriality of a thing is the reason why it is cognitive; and according to the mode of immateriality is the mode of knowledge. Hence it is said in De Anima ii that plants do not know, because they are wholly material. But sense is cognitive because it can receive images free from matter, and the intellect is still further cognitive, because it is more separated from matter and unmixed, as said in De Anima iii. Since therefore God is in the highest degree of immateriality as stated above (Q. 7, A. 1), it follows that He occupies the highest place in knowledge. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, quia perfectiones procedentes a Deo in creaturas, altiori modo sunt in Deo, ut supra dictum est, oportet quod, quandocumque aliquod nomen sumptum a quacumque perfectione creaturae Deo attribuitur, secludatur ab eius significatione omne illud quod pertinet ad imperfectum modum qui competit creaturae. Unde scientia non est qualitas in Deo vel habitus, sed substantia et actus purus. Reply Obj. 1: Because perfections flowing from God to creatures exist in a higher state in God Himself (Q. 4, A. 2), whenever a name taken from any created perfection is attributed to God, it must be separated in its signification from anything that belongs to that imperfect mode proper to creatures. Hence knowledge is not a quality of God, nor a habit, but substance and pure act. Ad secundum dicendum quod ea quae sunt divisim et multipliciter in creaturis, in Deo sunt simpliciter et unite, ut supra dictum est. Homo autem, secundum diversa cognita, habet diversas cognitiones, nam secundum quod cognoscit principia, dicitur habere intelligentiam; scientiam vero, secundum quod cognoscit conclusiones; sapientiam, secundum quod cognoscit causam altissimam; consilium vel prudentiam, secundum quod cognoscit agibilia. Sed haec omnia Deus una et simplici cognitione cognoscit, ut infra patebit. Unde simplex Dei cognitio omnibus istis nominibus nominari potest, ita tamen quod ab unoquoque eorum, secundum quod in divinam praedicationem venit, secludatur quidquid imperfectionis est, et retineatur quidquid perfectionis est. Et secundum hoc dicitur Iob XII, apud ipsum est sapientia et fortitudo; ipse habet consilium et intelligentiam. Reply Obj. 2: Whatever is divided and multiplied in creatures exists in God simply and unitedly (Q. 13, A. 4). Now man has different kinds of knowledge, according to the different objects of His knowledge. He has intelligence as regards the knowledge of principles; he has science as regards knowledge of conclusions; he has wisdom, according as he knows the highest cause; he has counsel or prudence, according as he knows what is to be done. But God knows all these by one simple act of knowledge, as will be shown (A. 7). Hence the simple knowledge of God can be named by all these names; in such a way, however, that there must be removed from each of them, so far as they enter into divine predication, everything that savors of imperfection; and everything that expresses perfection is to be retained in them. Hence it is said, With Him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding (Job 12:13). Ad tertium dicendum quod scientia est secundum modum cognoscentis, scitum enim est in sciente secundum modum scientis. Et ideo, cum modus divinae essentiae sit altior quam modus quo creaturae sunt, scientia divina non habet modum creatae scientiae, ut scilicet sit universalis vel particularis, vel in habitu vel in potentia, vel secundum aliquem talem modum disposita. Reply Obj. 3: Knowledge is according to the mode of the one who knows; for the thing known is in the knower according to the mode of the knower. Now since the mode of the divine essence is higher than that of creatures, divine knowledge does not exist in God after the mode of created knowledge, so as to be universal or particular, or habitual, or potential, or existing according to any such mode. Articulus 2 Article 2