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Summa Theologiae · I, q. 79

Question 79. Of the Intellectual Powers

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part. 13 articles.

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Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #17611, First Part (Prima Pars), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The First Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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The next question concerns the intellectual powers, under which head there are thirteen points of inquiry:

(1) Whether the intellect is a power of the soul, or its essence?

(2) If it be a power, whether it is a passive power?

(3) If it is a passive power, whether there is an active intellect?

(4) Whether it is something in the soul?

(5) Whether the active intellect is one in all?

(6) Whether memory is in the intellect?

(7) Whether the memory be distinct from the intellect?

(8) Whether the reason is a distinct power from the intellect?

(9) Whether the superior and inferior reason are distinct powers?

(10) Whether the intelligence is distinct from the intellect?

(11) Whether the speculative and practical intellect are distinct powers?

(12) Whether "synderesis" is a power of the intellectual part?

(13) Whether the conscience is a power of the intellectual part?

Articles

  1. Whether the Intellect Is a Power of the Soul?
  2. Whether the Intellect Is a Passive Power?
  3. Whether There Is an Active Intellect?
  4. Whether the Active Intellect Is Something in the Soul?
  5. Whether the Active Intellect Is One in All?
  6. Whether Memory Is in the Intellectual Part of the Soul?
  7. Whether the Intellectual Memory Is a Power Distinct from the Intellect?
  8. Whether the Reason Is Distinct from the Intellect?
  9. Whether the Higher and Lower Reason Are Distinct Powers?
  10. Whether Intelligence Is a Power Distinct from Intellect?
  11. Whether the Speculative and Practical Intellects Are Distinct Powers?
  12. Whether Synderesis Is a Special Power of the Soul Distinct from the Others?
  13. Whether Conscience Be a Power?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, First Part. Project Gutenberg #17611. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.