Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: The Trinune God: Systematics

Titel: The Triune God: Systematics

Stichwort: Relationen; innere - absolute - äußere Relation; Thomas, Textstellen; abslute - relative Prädikate;

Kurzinhalt: For a change in a real relation a change in the subject of the relation is not a necessary requirement; a change in the term is sufficient.

Textausschnitt: St Thomas's Doctrine

707b What St Thomas taught on this matter is clear from the following quotations. (Fs)
De potentia, q. 7, a. 8, ad 5m:'... it is not necessary, in order that any new relation be predicated of something, that there be any change in that thing; it suffices that there be a change in any of the terms, for the cause of an order between two things is something inherent in each of them. Hence, any change on the part of that which caused the order nullifies the order between the two.'

707c De potentia, q. 7, a. 8 c: 'It must be said that in this respect a relation differs from quantity and quality in this, that quantity and quality are accidents of some kind that remain in the subject; but, as Boethius says, "relation" does not mean "as remaining in the subject," but "as in a certain transit to another" ... But what is attributed to something "as proceeding from it to something else" does not enter into composition with it, as neither does action enter into composition with the agent. And on this account the Philosopher too proves in the Physics, Book v, that there cannot be motion in "(the being related) to something"; because without any change in that which is related to another, a relation can cease to be only through the change of the other; as also is clear about action, that there is no movement as regards action except metaphorically and improperly; as we say that one passing from leisure to act is changed; which would not be the case if relation or action signified something remaining in the subject.'

707d De potentia, q. 7, a. 9, ad 7m: '... there is nothing to prevent an accident of this kind [relation, action] from ceasing to be without causing any change in its subject; for it does not have the perfection of its being in that subject, but through transition into another; and with the cessation of that transition, the being of this accident ceases with respect to its act but remains with respect to its cause - as when the material [being heated] is removed, the heating also ceases, although the cause of the heating remains.'

709a In V Phys., lect. 3 (Leonine edition, vol. 11, 237, §8): 'In the case of those relations, therefore, whose reality is found in only one of the extremes [subject or term], there is no difficulty in saying that when that extreme changes some new relationship is predicated of the other extreme without its being changed, since nothing real is added to it. But in the case of those relations whose reality is found in both extremes, there seems to be this difficulty, that something is predicated of one of them by reason of a change in the other without any change in the former, since nothing new is added to anything without that thing being changed. Hence, we must conclude that if someone becomes equal to me through a change in him and without any change in me, that equality was first in me in some way, as in the basis upon which it possesses real existence; for from the fact that I have such or such a quantity, I am in a position to be equal to all those who have the same quantity. When, therefore, someone acquires this quantity, that common basis of equality applies to him, and so nothing new comes to me from the fact that I begin to be equal to him as a result of the change in him.'
See also Super I Sententiarum, d. 26, q. 2, a. 1, ad 3m; In VII Phys., lect. 6, Leonine edition, vol. 11, 344; Summa theologiae, 3, q. 16, a. 6, ad 2m. (Fs)

709b In the above passages, note the following points:

a) There is a distinction between absolute and relative predicates: an absolute predicate is 'remaining in the subject'; a relative and external predicate is 'directed or proceeding towards another.'
b) For a change in a real relation a change in the subject of the relation is not a necessary requirement; a change in the term is sufficient. (Fs)

It is not a valid escape to invent a distinction between improper change and change properly so called, since St Thomas expressly says, 'and so nothing new comes to me from the fact that I begin to be equal to him [someone else] as a result of a change in him.'

709c
c) St Thomas's example suggests a distinction between an absolute, an internal relation, and an external relation. Where he says, 'from the fact that I have such or such a quantity,' he states an absolute. When he adds, 'I am in a position to be equal to all those who have the same quantity,' he indicates an internal relation. When he concludes, 'when, therefore, someone acquires this quantity, that common basis of equality applies to him,' there is added a determinate external relation without there being any new reality intrinsic to the subject. (Fs) (notabene)