Monday, August 23, 2010

1a 2ae q49 a3: Whether habit implies order to an act? Yes.

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, in libro de bono coniugali, quod "habitus est quo aliquid agitur cum opus est", et Commentator dicit, in III de anima, quod "habitus est quo quis agit cum voluerit", quia inquantum tamen natura est principium actus, ex consequenti importat ordinem ad actum.

Augustine says (De Bono Conjug. xxi) that "habit is that whereby something is done when necessary", and the Commentator says (De Anima iii) that "habit is that whereby we act when we will", because insofar as nature is a principle of act, it consequently implies ordination to act.

Secundum quidem rationem habitus, convenit omni habitui aliquo modo habere ordinem ad actum. Est enim de ratione habitus ut importet habitudinem quandam in ordine ad naturam rei, secundum quod convenit vel non convenit.

In regard to the formal aspect of habit, it befits every habit to have ordination to an act. For it is formally aspectual to habit to imply some some state of affairs in ordination to a thing's nature, insofar as it is befitting or ill-befitting thereto.

Sed natura rei, quae est finis generationis, ulterius etiam ordinatur ad alium finem, qui vel est operatio, vel aliquod operatum, ad quod quis pervenit per operationem.

But a thing's nature, which is the end of generation, is further ordained to another end, which is either an operation, or the product of an operation, to which one attains by means of operation.

Unde habitus non solum importat ordinem ad ipsam naturam rei, sed etiam consequenter ad operationem, inquantum est finis naturae, vel perducens ad finem.

Wherefore habit implies ordination not only to the very nature of a thing, but also, consequently, to operation, inasmuch as this is the end of nature, or conducive to the end.

Unde et in V Metaphys. dicitur in definitione habitus, quod est dispositio secundum quam bene vel male disponitur dispositum aut secundum se, idest secundum suam naturam, aut ad aliud, idest in ordine ad finem.

Whence also it is stated (Metaph. v, text. 25) in the definition of habit, that it is a disposition whereby that which is disposed, is well- or ill-disposed either in regard to itself, that is to its nature, or in regard to something else, that is in ordination to the end.

Sed sunt quidam habitus qui etiam ex parte subiecti in quo sunt, primo et principaliter important ordinem ad actum. Quia ut dictum est, habitus primo et per se importat habitudinem ad naturam rei.

But there are some habits, which even on the part of the subject in which they are, imply primarily and principally ordination to an act. For, as we have said, habit primarily and of itself implies a state of affairs with respect to the thing's nature.

Si igitur natura rei, in qua est habitus, consistat in ipso ordine ad actum, sequitur quod habitus principaliter importet ordinem ad actum. Manifestum est autem quod natura et ratio potentiae est ut sit principium actus. Unde omnis habitus, qui est alicuius potentiae ut subiecti, principaliter importat ordinem ad actum.

If therefore the nature of a thing, in which the habit is, consists in this very ordination to an act, it follows that the habit principally implies ordination to an act. Now it is clear that the nature and the formal aspect of power is that it should be a principle of act. Wherefore every habit, which is subjected in a power, implies principally ordination to an act.

Habitus est actus quidam, inquantum est qualitas, et secundum hoc potest esse principium operationis. Sed est in potentia per respectum ad operationem. Unde habitus dicitur actus primus, et operatio actus secundus; ut patet in II de anima.

Habit is an act, insofar as it is a quality, and in this respect it can be a principle of operation. It is, however, in a state of potentiality in respect to operation. Wherefore habit is called first act, and operation, second act; as it is explained in De Anima ii, text. 5.

Non est de ratione habitus quod respiciat potentiam, sed quod respiciat naturam. Et quia natura praecedit actionem, quam respicit potentia, ideo prior species qualitatis ponitur habitus quam potentia.

It is not the formal aspect of habit to be related to power, but to be related to nature. And as nature precedes action, to which power is related, therefore habit is put before power as a species of quality.