33. (10-12) Intelligence is not the principle of all things; for it
is manifold. Now the manifold presupposes the One. Evidently, it is
intelligence that is manifold; the intelligibles that it thinks do
not form unity, but manifoldness, and they are identical therewith.
Therefore, since intelligence and the intelligible entities are
identical, and as the intelligible entities form a manifoldness,
intelligence itself is manifold.
The identity of intelligence and of intelligible entities may be
demonstrated as follows. The object that intelligence contemplates
must be in it, or exist outside of itself. It is, besides, evident,
that intelligence contemplates; since, for intelligence, to think is
to be intelligence,[337] therefore, to abstract its thought would be
to deprive it of its "being." This being granted, we must determine in
what manner intelligence contemplates its object. We shall accomplish
this by examining the different faculties by which we acquire various
kinds of knowledge, namely, sensation, imagination and intelligence.
The principle which makes use of the senses contemplates only by
grasping exterior things, and far from uniting itself to the objects
of its contemplation, from this perception it gathers no more than
an image. Therefore when the eye sees the visible object, it cannot
identify itself with this object; for it would not see it, unless it
were at a certain distance therefrom. Likewise if the object of touch
confused itself with the organ that touches it, it would disappear.
Therefore the senses, and the principle that makes use of the
senses, apply themselves to what is outside of them to perceive this
sense-object.
Likewise imagination applies its attention to what is outside of it to
form for itself an image of it; it is by this very attention to what
is outside of it that it represents to itself the object of which it
forms an image as exterior.
That is how sensation and imagination perceive their objects. Neither
of these two faculties folds itself back on itself, nor concentrates
on itself, whether the object of their perception be a corporeal or
incorporeal form.
Not in this manner is intelligence perceived; this can occur only by
turning towards itself, and by contemplating itself. If it left the
contemplation of its own actualizations, if it ceased to be their
contemplation (or, intuition), it would no longer think anything.
Intelligence perceives the intelligible entity as sensation perceives
the sense-object, by intuition. But in order to contemplate the
sense-object, sensation applies to what is outside of it, because
its object is material. On the contrary, in order to contemplate the
intelligible entity, intelligence concentrates in itself, instead of
applying itself to what is outside of it. That is why some philosophers
have thought that there was only a nominal difference between
intelligence and imagination; for they believed that intelligence
was the imagination of the reasonable animal; as they insisted that
everything should depend on matter and on corporeal nature, they
naturally had to make intelligence also depend therefrom. But our
intelligence contemplates natures (or, "beings"). Therefore, (according
to the hypothesis of these philosophers) our intelligence will
contemplate these natures as located in some place. But these natures
are outside of matter; consequently, they could not be located in any
place. It is therefore evident that the intelligible entities had to be
posited as within intelligence.
If the intelligible entities be within intelligence, intelligence will
contemplate intelligible entities and will contemplate itself while
contemplating them; by understanding itself, it will think, because it
will understand intelligible entities. Now intelligible entities form
a multitude, for[338] intelligence thinks a multitude of intelligible
entities, and not a unity; therefore, intelligence is manifold. But
manifoldness presupposes unity; consequently, above intelligence, the
existence of unity will be necessary.
34. (5) Intellectual being is composed of similar parts, so that
existing beings exist both in individual intelligence, and in universal
Intelligence. But, in universal Intelligence, individual (entities) are
themselves conceived universally; while in individual intelligence,
universal beings as well as individual beings are conceived
individually.