Single Idea 10508

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 5. Generalisation by mind]

Full Idea

The agent intellect abstracts intelligible species from phantasms insofar as through the power of the agent intellect we can take into our consideration the natures of the species without the individual conditions.

Gist of Idea

Species are abstracted from appearances by ignoring individual conditions

Source

Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologicae [1265], Q85 Ad4)

Book Reference

Aquinas,Thomas: 'Treatise on Human Nature (Summa 1a 75-89)', ed/tr. Pasnau,Robert [Hackett 2002], p.161


A Reaction

There might be a threatened circularity here, in trying to decide which features to ignore and which to retain. If we saw a hundred horses with a white nose blaze, we still wouldn't be sure that this was essential to a horse. Innate notions of species??