92. The Ambiguity of 'Powers of the Soul': Subject vs. Source

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Ambiguity of the Preposition ‘Of’ #

• The phrase ‘powers of the soul’ has multiple meanings depending on how ‘of’ is understood
• ‘Of’ as subject: Powers whose subject is the soul (e.g., understanding and willing)
• ‘Of’ as origin/source: Powers whose beginning or source is the soul (e.g., all five general powers Aristotle distinguishes)
• Many English phrases exhibit this ambiguity: ‘knowledge of reason,’ ‘word of God,’ ‘war of President Bush,’ ‘book of Thomas Aquinas’

Powers in Soul Alone vs. Powers in Body #

• Only understanding (intellect) and willing are powers whose subject is the soul alone
• These powers are immaterial and non-bodily, reflecting the immaterial nature of the soul itself
• Sensory powers, nutrition, and growth have the composite (soul + body) as their subject, not the soul alone
• Yet ALL these powers are ‘of the soul’ in the sense that the soul is their source and origin

The Soul as Principle and Source #

• When a body is animated by a soul, that body acquires powers it would not otherwise have
• Example: A dead eye is no longer an eye in the functional sense—it cannot perform the operation of seeing without a soul animating it
• The soul is like an author causing a book, or a general directing an army—the source/originator even if not the direct subject

Distinction Between Subject and Source in Classical Examples #

• ‘This is a book of Thomas Aquinas’: Thomas is not the subject (the book is not in Thomas), but the source/author
• ‘Napoleon’s victory’: Napoleon directed the army but did not do all the fighting—he is the source/commander, not the direct subject
• ‘President Bush’s war’: He is the instigator/origin, not necessarily the subject undergoing the war

The Truth Between Two Extremes #

• Berquist illustrates how truth lies between two contrary errors using multiple examples:
  • Some say no powers are in the body (pure materialism/physicalism)
  • Others say all powers are only in the body (denying immaterial powers entirely)
  • Truth: Only intellect and will are in the soul; other powers are in the composite
  • Plato went to the opposite extreme, attributing non-bodily powers (like movement) to the soul alone

Application to Scripture: Soul and Spirit #

• ‘My soul magnifies the Lord’: The soul as the animating principle giving the body its operations (conception and childbearing)
• ‘My spirit rejoices in God my Savior’: The spirit as the immaterial powers (intellect and will) contemplating and loving God
• The Magnificat illustrates the distinction: Mary’s bodily operations (as mother) vs. her immaterial operations (intellectual joy)

Linguistic Analysis of ‘Of’ #

• The preposition ‘of’ can express:
  1. Object relationship: ‘knowledge of reason’ = knowledge about reason
  2. Subject relationship: ‘knowledge of reason’ = knowledge in reason
  3. Origin relationship: ‘book of Thomas’ = book authored by Thomas
• When these meanings coincide, they provide richer understanding (e.g., wisdom as knowledge of God both about God and in God)

How All Powers Are ‘Of the Soul’ Despite Different Subjects #

• Powers of nutrition, sensation, and emotion are ‘of the soul’ as source even though their subject is the body
• These powers exist in the body because the body is animated by the soul
• The compound (soul + body) acts through these powers, but the soul is the origin giving the body its capacities

Key Arguments #

Addressing Potential Confusion #

• Problem: One might think ‘powers of the soul’ means all powers inhere in the soul as their subject
• Solution: Distinguish two senses of ‘of’—powers can be ‘of’ the soul as either subject or source
• Implication: Understanding this distinction prevents misunderstanding Platonic or materialist positions

Distinguishing Soul from Compound #

• In the soul alone (as subject): intellect, will
• In the composite (as subject): sensation, nutrition, growth, emotion
• Source of all: the soul itself

The Principle of Order #

• All five general powers that Aristotle distinguishes flow from the soul’s single nature
• Yet they have different subjects and objects based on their relation to body
• This reflects a natural ordering: higher powers (immaterial) and lower powers (bodily) emanate from one principle

Important Definitions #

Soul (ψυχή/anima) #

• The animating principle of a living body
• What distinguishes living things from non-living matter
• In humans: the substantial form uniting body and immaterial powers

Spirit (πνεῦμα/spiritus) #

• The soul insofar as it has powers transcending the body
• Specifically refers to intellect and will
• The immaterial aspect of human nature

Powers (δυνάμεις/potentiae) #

• Operative capacities flowing from the soul’s nature
• Can be distinguished by subject (where they inhere) and object (what they operate upon)
• All have the soul as their origin/source

Source/Origin (ἀρχή/principium) #

• The principle from which something proceeds
• In this context: the soul as the origin of all powers in a living being
• Distinguished from ‘subject,’ which is what receives/inherits the power

Examples & Illustrations #

The Dead Eye #

• A dead person’s eye is no longer an eye in the proper sense—it lacks the ability to see
• The body part only functions as an eye when animated by a soul
• This demonstrates the soul as the source of bodily powers
• A transplanted eye would require a new soul animating it to function as an eye

Historical and Political Examples #

• ‘President Bush’s war’: Bush is not fighting on the battlefield but is the instigator
• ‘Napoleon’s victory’: Napoleon directed the army but did not do all the fighting
• These show ‘of’ expressing origin/agency rather than direct subject or possession

Legal Oath in Court #

• ‘To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth’
• ‘The whole truth’: Don’t subtract (don’t say ‘what is’ is not)
• ‘Nothing but the truth’: Don’t add (don’t say ‘what is not’ is)
• Example: If John and Thomas were at a bar, saying ‘only John’ is subtracting truth; saying ‘John, Thomas, and Paul’ is adding to truth

Scholastic Example from Class #

• Students asked how ‘book of Thomas Aquinas’ works grammatically
• The book is in Duane’s library (subject), but by Thomas (source/author)
• Duane writes his name in books to prevent theft, not as possession but to mark its origin

Notable Quotes #

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” — Luke 1:46-47 (Magnificat), interpreted through distinction of soul (animating principle) and spirit (immaterial powers)

“All my reports go with the modest truth, nor more, nor clipped, but so.” — Shakespeare, King Lear, cited to illustrate the principle of not adding to or subtracting from truth

“If they say more or less than the truth, they are villains and the sons of darkness.” — Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays, illustrating the two ways of departing from truth

Questions Addressed #

What does ‘powers of the soul’ mean? #

• Answer: It can mean (1) powers whose subject is the soul, or (2) powers whose source/origin is the soul. Only intellect and will are ‘of the soul’ in sense (1); all five general powers are ‘of the soul’ in sense (2).

Are sensory powers in the soul as subject? #

• Answer: No. Sensory powers have the composite (soul + body) as their subject, not the soul alone. But they are still ‘of the soul’ as their origin.

Why use such ambiguous language? #

• Answer: The preposition ‘of’ naturally has multiple meanings; the context and philosophical tradition clarify which is intended. This linguistic feature allows for precision once understood.

How does this relate to Plato’s error? #

• Answer: Plato wrongly attributed powers that belong to the composite (like movement and sensation) to the soul alone, making the animal soul immortal. The truth lies between Plato’s extreme and the materialist extreme of denying immaterial powers altogether.

How does this illuminate Scripture? #

• Answer: Understanding soul vs. spirit clarifies biblical passages: ‘soul magnifies’ refers to bodily/animated operations, while ‘spirit rejoices’ refers to immaterial intellectual and volitional operations.