Whether the Will Is Moved by the Intellect?
Objection 1: It would seem that the will is not moved by the
intellect. For Augustine says on Ps. 118:20: "My soul hath coveted to
long for Thy justifications: The intellect flies ahead, the desire
follows sluggishly or not at all: we know what is good, but deeds
delight us not." But it would not be so, if the will were moved by
the intellect: because movement of the movable results from motion of
the mover. Therefore the intellect does not move the will.
Obj. 2: Further, the intellect in presenting the appetible object to
the will, stands in relation to the will, as the imagination in
representing the appetible object to the sensitive appetite. But the
imagination, in presenting the appetible object, does not remove the
sensitive appetite: indeed sometimes our imagination affects us no
more than what is set before us in a picture, and moves us not at all
(De Anima ii, 3). Therefore neither does the intellect move the will.
Obj. 3: Further, the same is not mover and moved in respect of the
same thing. But the will moves the intellect; for we exercise the
intellect when we will. Therefore the intellect does not move the
will.
_On the contrary,_ The Philosopher says (De Anima iii, 10) that "the
appetible object is a mover not moved, whereas the will is a mover
moved."
_I answer that,_ A thing requires to be moved by something in so far
as it is in potentiality to several things; for that which is in
potentiality needs to be reduced to act by something actual; and to
do this is to move. Now a power of the soul is seen to be in
potentiality to different things in two ways: first, with regard to
acting and not acting; secondly, with regard to this or that action.
Thus the sight sometimes sees actually, and sometimes sees not: and
sometimes it sees white, and sometimes black. It needs therefore a
mover in two respects, viz. as to the exercise or use of the act, and
as to the determination of the act. The first of these is on the part
of the subject, which is sometimes acting, sometimes not acting:
while the other is on the part of the object, by reason of which the
act is specified.
The motion of the subject itself is due to some agent. And since
every agent acts for an end, as was shown above (Q. 1, A. 2), the
principle of this motion lies in the end. And hence it is that the
art which is concerned with the end, by its command moves the art
which is concerned with the means; just as the "art of sailing
commands the art of shipbuilding" (Phys. ii, 2). Now good in general,
which has the nature of an end, is the object of the will.
Consequently, in this respect, the will moves the other powers of the
soul to their acts, for we make use of the other powers when we will.
For the end and perfection of every other power, is included under
the object of the will as some particular good: and always the art or
power to which the universal end belongs, moves to their acts the
arts or powers to which belong the particular ends included in the
universal end. Thus the leader of an army, who intends the common
good--i.e. the order of the whole army--by his command moves one of
the captains, who intends the order of one company.
On the other hand, the object moves, by determining the act, after
the manner of a formal principle, whereby in natural things actions
are specified, as heating by heat. Now the first formal principle is
universal "being" and "truth," which is the object of the intellect.
And therefore by this kind of motion the intellect moves the will, as
presenting its object to it.
Reply Obj. 1: The passage quoted proves, not that the intellect does
not move, but that it does not move of necessity.
Reply Obj. 2: Just as the imagination of a form without estimation of
fitness or harmfulness, does not move the sensitive appetite; so
neither does the apprehension of the true without the aspect of
goodness and desirability. Hence it is not the speculative intellect
that moves, but the practical intellect (De Anima iii, 9).
Reply Obj. 3: The will moves the intellect as to the exercise of its
act; since even the true itself which is the perfection of the
intellect, is included in the universal good, as a particular good.
But as to the determination of the act, which the act derives from
the object, the intellect moves the will; since the good itself is
apprehended under a special aspect as contained in the universal
true. It is therefore evident that the same is not mover and moved in
the same respect.
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