Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Q59 A2: Whether in the angels the will differs from the intellect?

Yes. The will of the angels is distinct from their intellect because the will in the angels regards good things only, while their intellect regards both good and bad things, for they know both.

Knowledge comes about in so far as the object known is within the knower; consequently the intellect extends itself to what is outside it, according as what, in its essence, is outside it is disposed to be somehow within it.

On the other hand, the will goes out to what is beyond it, according as by a kind of inclination it tends, in a manner, to what is outside it.

Now it belongs to one faculty to have within itself something which is outside it, and to another faculty to tend to what is outside it.

Consequently intellect and will must necessarily be different powers in every creature.

It is not so with God, for He has within Himself universal being, and the universal good. Therefore both intellect and will are His nature.