Friday, July 09, 2010

1a 2ae q40 a5: Whether experience is a cause of hope? Yes.

Experientia est causa spei quia experientia in operabilibus non solum causat scientiam; sed etiam causat quendam habitum, propter consuetudinem, qui facit operationem faciliorem.

Experience is a cause of hope because experience in matters pertaining to action not only produces knowledge; it also causes a certain habit, by reason of custom, which renders the action easier.

Sed et ipsa virtus intellectualis facit ad potestatem facile operandi, demonstrat enim aliquid esse possibile. Et sic causat spem.

Moreover, the intellectual virtue itself adds to the power of acting with ease, because it shows something to be possible. And thus is a cause of hope.

Philosophus dicit, in III Ethic., quod "aliqui sunt bonae spei, propter multoties et multos vicisse", quod ad experientiam pertinet.

The Philosopher says (Ethic. iii, 8) "some are hopeful, through having been victorious often and over many opponents", which seems to pertain to experience.