Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Q16 A4: Whether good is logically prior to the true?

No. The true is prior to good because the true is more closely related to being than is good.

For the true regards being itself simply and immediately, while the nature of good follows being in so far as being is in some way perfect (for thus it is desirable).

Knowledge naturally precedes appetite. Hence, since the true regards knowledge, but the good regards the appetite, the true must be logically prior in idea to the good.

A thing is prior logically insofar as it is prior to the intellect. Now the intellect apprehends primarily being itself; secondly, it apprehends that it understands being; and thirdly, it apprehends that it desires being.

Hence the idea of being is first, that of truth second, and the idea of good third, though good is in things.