7. Wisdom, Art, and the Knowledge of First Causes

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• The Hierarchy of Knowledge: The distinction between the man of experience (who knows that something is), the man of art (who knows why), and the chief artist who understands causes
• Wisdom as Knowledge of First Causes: Why wisdom must ultimately concern itself with the very first causes and beginnings, not merely particular instances or secondary causes
• Arts for Necessity vs. Pleasure: The division between practical arts (cooking, medicine, building) and arts of pleasure (poetry, music, drama), with the latter considered wiser because they are not bound to practical necessity
• The Leisure Requirement: Why speculative sciences arose first among those with leisure (Egyptian priests), indicating that wisdom is not constrained by practical demands
• Equivocal Terms by Reason: How philosophical vocabulary becomes equivocal not by chance but by systematic reasons—particularly the distinction between different senses of terms like “understanding” (νοῦς), “reason” (λόγος), “knowledge” (ἐπιστήμη), and “wisdom” (σοφία)

Key Arguments #

The Ascent to Wisdom #

• The experienced man seems wiser than one with mere sensation because he knows the universal principle behind particular instances
• The artist seems wiser than the experienced man because he knows why something must be done a certain way, not merely that it works
• The chief artist seems wiser than the handicraftsman because the chief knows the causes and reasons; the subordinate merely follows instructions
• The speculative sciences seem wiser than the making sciences because they are pursued for their own sake, not for practical utility
• Conclusion: Wisdom must be about the first causes and beginnings

Equivocation by Reason vs. By Chance #

Berquist distinguishes how words become equivocal by reason (not by mere chance, like two people named Richard):

1. When a common name is retained for one thing and a new name given to another because one has something noteworthy added:

   • Example: “Animal” is said of both beast and man with roughly the same meaning (living body with senses)
   • But because man has reason added, man is given a special status while “animal” names the beast
   • Result: “Man is an animal” vs. “Man is not (merely) an animal”—the same word in different senses

2. When a name is carried over from one domain to another:

   • “Before” carries over from temporal priority to ontological priority to epistemic priority
   • This happens by ratio—a relationship of proportionality between domains
   • Example: Being is carried from substance to quantity to quality by the ratio in which quantity and quality relate to substance

3. The Paradox of Certainty and Difficulty:

   • The wise man is both most certain and knows things most difficult to know
   • Resolution: The wise man knows the axioms—first principles that are both most certain and most universal
   • Knowledge of axioms is itself certain even when knowledge of what they apply to is difficult
   • The wise man knows why the most difficult things must be so—hence certainty despite difficulty

Important Definitions #

• Wisdom (σοφία/sapientia): Knowledge of first causes and beginnings; the highest virtue of intellect
• Knowledge/Science (ἐπιστήμη/scientia): Knowledge of universals and causes; reasoned knowledge of why something must be so
• Art (τέχνη/ars): Right reason about making; practical knowledge of how to produce something
• Experience (ἐμπειρία/experientia): Knowledge of singular things through accumulated memory; knowing that something is so
• Reason (λόγος): The ability for large discourse; the capacity to move from particulars to universals
• Axiom: First principle; most certain and most universal knowledge upon which other knowledge depends
• Chief Artist (ἀρχιτέκτων): The architect or master craftsman who knows causes; wiser than subordinate craftsmen

Examples & Illustrations #

Popcorn and Leisure #

Berquist opens with an anecdote about making popcorn with his son Paul—the child admiring what the father could do with small kernels. This illustrates how certain knowledge and skills are admired, and transitions to a discussion of how speculative sciences first arose among those with leisure (Egyptian priests).

The Man of Art vs. The Experienced Man #

A carpenter is more wiser than a cook not because the carpenter does more useful things, but because the carpenter understands why something must be constructed a certain way. Similarly, the chef who understands the chemistry of cooking (why proteins denature at certain temperatures) is wiser than one who merely knows from experience that certain methods work.

The Problem of the Whole and Its Parts #

Berquist illustrates equivocation through his mother’s objection to calling man an animal:

• When he said “man is an animal,” his mother objected
• He clarified: “man is an animal that has reason”
• The apparent paradox: “animal” (a part of the definition of man) contains more things than “man” (the whole)
• Resolution: “Animal” as a universal whole (encompassing beasts, dogs, cats, etc.) is different from “animal” as a component part of the definition of man
• The sophist error lies in confusing these two different senses of “whole”

Medical Knowledge #

A specialist doctor knows causes; a general practitioner knows from experience what helps. The specialist is wiser, which is why even doctors consult specialists.

Two Winston Churchills #

The apparent coincidence of two famous people named Winston Churchill is an example of equivocation by chance, not by reason. This illustrates the difference from philosophical equivocation.

Notable Quotes #

“Thus it is clear that wisdom is about beginnings and causes”—Aristotle, establishing the conclusion of the investigation

“The experienced man seems to be wiser than any of those having just sensation; the artist than the man of experience; the chief artist than the handicraftsman”—Aristotle, Metaphysics I, showing the hierarchy of knowledge

“I realize, you know, how busy these guys are, you know, and how can you do theology?"—Berquist, reflecting on priests’ lack of leisure for speculative knowledge

“Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast”—Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet), used by Berquist to encourage students to digest material slowly

“I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”—Revelation 22:13, cited as theological parallel to Aristotle’s focus on first causes

“The whole that is put together from parts is always more than one of those parts”—Berquist, resolving the equivocation problem about wholes and parts

Questions Addressed #

Why are the poets and musicians admired as wise? #

Because their arts are not bound to practical necessity (cooking, medicine) or pleasure alone. The dramatic and poetic arts are admired because they are freed from utility—they represent knowledge pursued for its own sake.

How does the speculative differ from the practical? #

Speculative sciences (mathematics, natural philosophy) are wiser than making sciences because they are not constrained by practical use. They require leisure, and their pursuit indicates knowledge as a good in itself.

Why does the wise man seem paradoxical—both most certain and knowing the most difficult things? #

The resolution lies in understanding that the wise man knows axioms—first principles. These are both most certain (we cannot doubt them) and most universal. The wise man knows why even the most difficult things must necessarily be so.

How can animal be both a part of man and contain more than man? #

This is equivocation by reason. “Animal” in the universal sense (all living sensate bodies) includes many particular kinds. “Animal” in the definitional sense is a component part of the definition “rational animal.” The composed whole (rational animal) is more than one of its component definitions, but the universal whole (all animals) contains more particulars than man alone.

Why do words become equivocal by reason rather than by chance? #

Because there is a systematic relationship between the different senses. The wise man retains the common name for one instance and gives a new name to another because one has an added characteristic. Or a term is carried over between domains by a proportional relationship (ratio). This is not random like two people happening to share a name.

Connections to Theological Themes #

• God as First Cause: The investigation of first causes in metaphysics parallels theology’s concern with God
• The Incarnation: The theological question “Why did God become man?” is an example of seeking causes and reasons at the highest level—something only the wise man can properly address
• Divine Wisdom: Thomas Aquinas understands theology as wisdom because it concerns the first cause; God Himself is wisdom, not merely possessing it
• Priesthood and Leisure: The medieval context of priests having leisure for theological study illustrates why wisdom requires freedom from practical necessity