Whether "Eubulia," "Synesis," and "Gnome" Are Virtues Annexed to
Prudence?
Objection 1: It would seem that "_eubulia, synesis_, and _gnome_" are
unfittingly assigned as virtues annexed to prudence. For _eubulia_ is
"a habit whereby we take good counsel" (Ethic. vi, 9). Now it
"belongs to prudence to take good counsel," as stated (Ethic. vi, 9).
Therefore _eubulia_ is not a virtue annexed to prudence, but rather
is prudence itself.
Obj. 2: Further, it belongs to the higher to judge the lower. The
highest virtue would therefore seem to be the one whose act is
judgment. Now _synesis_ enables us to judge well. Therefore _synesis_
is not a virtue annexed to prudence, but rather is a principal virtue.
Obj. 3: Further, just as there are various matters to pass judgment
on, so are there different points on which one has to take counsel.
But there is one virtue referring to all matters of counsel.
Therefore, in order to judge well of what has to be done, there is no
need, besides _synesis,_ of the virtue of _gnome_.
Obj. 4: Further, Cicero (De Invent. Rhet. iii) mentions three other
parts of prudence; viz. "memory of the past, understanding of the
present, and foresight of the future." Moreover, Macrobius (Super
Somn. Scip. 1) mentions yet others: viz. "caution, docility," and the
like. Therefore it seems that the above are not the only virtues
annexed to prudence.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of the Philosopher (Ethic.
vi, 9, 10, 11), who assigns these three virtues as being annexed to
prudence.
_I answer that,_ Wherever several powers are subordinate to one
another, that power is the highest which is ordained to the highest
act. Now there are three acts of reason in respect of anything done
by man: the first of these is counsel; the second, judgment; the
third, command. The first two correspond to those acts of the
speculative intellect, which are inquiry and judgment, for counsel is
a kind of inquiry: but the third is proper to the practical
intellect, in so far as this is ordained to operation; for reason
does not have to command in things that man cannot do. Now it is
evident that in things done by man, the chief act is that of command,
to which all the rest are subordinate. Consequently, that virtue
which perfects the command, viz. prudence, as obtaining the highest
place, has other secondary virtues annexed to it, viz. _eustochia_,
which perfects counsel; and _synesis_ and _gnome_, which are parts of
prudence in relation to judgment, and of whose distinction we shall
speak further on (ad 3).
Reply Obj. 1: Prudence makes us be of good counsel, not as though its
immediate act consisted in being of good counsel, but because it
perfects the latter act by means of a subordinate virtue, viz.
_euboulia_.
Reply Obj. 2: Judgment about what is to be done is directed to
something further: for it may happen in some matter of action that a
man's judgment is sound, while his execution is wrong. The matter
does not attain to its final complement until the reason has
commanded aright in the point of what has to be done.
Reply Obj. 3: Judgment of anything should be based on that thing's
proper principles. But inquiry does not reach to the proper
principles: because, if we were in possession of these, we should
need no more to inquire, the truth would be already discovered. Hence
only one virtue is directed to being of good counsel, wheres there
are two virtues for good judgment: because difference is based not on
common but on proper principles. Consequently, even in speculative
matters, there is one science of dialectics, which inquires about all
matters; whereas demonstrative sciences, which pronounce judgment,
differ according to their different objects. _Synesis_ and _gnome_
differ in respect of the different rules on which judgment is based:
for _synesis_ judges of actions according to the common law; while
_gnome_ bases its judgment on the natural law, in those cases where
the common law fails to apply, as we shall explain further on (II-II,
Q. 51, A. 4).
Reply Obj. 4: Memory, understanding and foresight, as also caution
and docility and the like, are not virtues distinct from prudence:
but are, as it were, integral parts thereof, in so far as they are
all requisite for perfect prudence. There are, moreover, subjective
parts or species of prudence, e.g. domestic and political economy,
and the like. But the three first names are, in a fashion, potential
parts of prudence; because they are subordinate thereto, as secondary
virtues to a principal virtue: and we shall speak of them later
(II-II, Q. 48, seqq.).
________________________