Transcendental Multitude in Thomas Aquinas

In this study, I consider the viability of what is perhaps one of the more "obscure" transcendentals in Aquinas's work--that is, the concept of multitudo transcendens. This strange notion is mentioned explicitly (as a member of the transcendentia, that is) on four occasions in Aquinas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association
Main Author: Harris, Joshua Lee (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: [2015]
In: Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association
RelBib Classification:KAE Church history 900-1300; high Middle Ages
KDB Roman Catholic Church
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Modern Philosophy
B Realism
B Transcendentalism
B Perfection
B THOMAS, Aquinas, Saint, ca. 1225-1274
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:In this study, I consider the viability of what is perhaps one of the more "obscure" transcendentals in Aquinas's work--that is, the concept of multitudo transcendens. This strange notion is mentioned explicitly (as a member of the transcendentia, that is) on four occasions in Aquinas's oeuvre. Despite its apparent difficulties, i.e., the clear difficulties associated with claiming that ens is really convertible with both unum and multitudo, I suggest that Aquinas's affirmation of multitudo as a transcendental is a conceptually coherent way of providing a compelling answer to a perennial problem in both ancient and modern philosophy: namely, the logical and metaphysical problem of doing justice to the seemingly equiprimorcial notions of "the one" and "the many"--as harmonious perfections rather than competitive notions.
ISSN:2153-7925
Contains:Enthalten in: American Catholic Philosophical Association, Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5840/acpaproc20171558