Instruction

In this chapter, Aristotle continues his refutation of those philosophers who claim that all reality is simply “one,” especially Parmenides and Melissus. He demonstrates that the very act of speaking about “being” requires distinctions within reality, for things may be one in one respect and many in another. A man, for example, may be one person while possessing many attributes and parts. Aristotle therefore teaches that unity and multiplicity are not mutually exclusive, but coexist according to different modes of being. Students should observe how carefully Aristotle distinguishes between substance and accident, whole and part, potency and actuality, showing that … Continue

Aristotle begins this chapter by examining the errors of earlier philosophers who claimed that reality is “one” and therefore denied the possibility of change and motion. Since natural philosophy studies things that move and change, Aristotle argues that anyone who denies motion destroys the very subject of physics itself. He shows that although beings may be united in one respect, they are not simply one in every respect, for the world plainly reveals diversity, opposition, generation, and corruption. In this lesson, students should pay careful attention to Aristotle’s method: he does not merely assert the truth, but carefully distinguishes meanings … Continue

Aristotle opens the Physics by teaching us how all true learning begins. Every science seeks knowledge through causes, principles, and elements, and therefore the study of nature must begin with the first principles of natural things. Yet Aristotle immediately warns us that the path of learning does not proceed from what is most perfect in itself to what is easiest for us to understand. Rather, we begin with what is familiar, general, and confused, and only gradually advance toward what is distinct and intelligible by nature. Thus the mind moves from wholes to parts, from universals to particulars, and from … Continue

In this lesson, we will be studying Psalm 3 from the Latin Vulgate. This psalm is traditionally attributed to King David and is associated in its title with the time when he fled from his son Absalom. That setting gives the psalm its special force, because David speaks as a man surrounded by enemies, publicly humiliated, and yet still confident in the help of God. The psalm moves from distress and accusation to trust, prayer, deliverance, and final blessing, and it is important for our studies because it teaches us how to read the language of affliction and faith in … Continue

In this lesson, we will be studying Psalm 2 from the Latin Vulgate. This psalm is one of the royal and prophetic psalms traditionally attributed to King David, the great king of Israel who lived about one thousand years before Christ. In it, the nations and rulers of the earth rise up in rebellion against the Lord and against his anointed one, yet God laughs at their defiance, establishes his king in Sion, and warns all earthly rulers to submit to his rule. This lesson is important for our studies because it teaches us how the Psalms speak at once … Continue

Prelection In this lesson, we will be studying Psalm 1 from the Latin Vulgate. This psalm is one of the sacred songs of the Old Testament, traditionally attributed to King David. Psalm 1 serves as a prologue to the entire Book of Psalms and presents a profound meditation on the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous person is described as one who delights in God’s law and meditates upon it day and night, flourishing like a well-watered tree that bears fruit in its season. The wicked, by contrast, are like chaff blown away by the wind, unable … Continue

In this lesson, we will be studying Psalm 7 from the Latin Vulgate, a psalm traditionally attributed to David and presented here as a lament sung to the Lord on account of Chus the Benjaminite. This psalm is important because it joins personal distress to a strong appeal for divine justice: David asks God to save him from his persecutors, declares his innocence with respect to the charge against him, and calls upon the Lord to judge rightly between the wicked and the just. As we study this psalm, we see not only the language of prayer in time of … Continue

In this lesson, we will be studying Psalm 6 from the Latin Vulgate. This psalm is one of the sacred songs of the Old Testament, traditionally attributed to King David. David lived approximately one thousand years before Christ and was the greatest king of Israel. He was a warrior, a musician, and a prophet who wrote many of the psalms that the Church still prays today. In this work, which is the Book of Psalms, David expresses the deepest feelings of the human heart—sorrow, fear, hope, and trust in God. In this particular psalm, David is suffering greatly, both in … Continue

Return to St. Albert the Great, Logic Prelection Coming soon… Caput V. De divisione logicae, et quae sint partes ipsius, et de voce significante ad placitum, quid et qualiter significet. 1. Divisio autem logicae, ut quidam partium ipsius, ut dicunt Avicenna et Alfarabius, accipienda sunt ex intentione ipsius. Literal Translation:“Division however of-logic, as certain-(men) of-parts of-itself, as say Avicenna and Alfarabi, to-be-received are out-of intention of-itself.” Translation:The division of logic, however, and likewise the division of its parts, as Avicenna and Alfarabi say, must be taken from its intention. Explanation:Albert is here saying that the proper way to divide logic … Continue

Return to St. Albert the Great, Logic Prelection In this chapter, St. Albert the Great asks an important question: what exactly is the subject matter of logic? After showing in the previous chapters that logic is necessary for all philosophy, he now explains more precisely that logic is chiefly concerned with argumentation, the rational process by which the mind moves from what is known to what is unknown. Logic is not fundamentally about words as mere sounds, nor even about propositions considered in isolation, but about reasoning itself as the instrument of science. St. Albert carefully distinguishes logic from grammar, … Continue