Philosophy 1

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen. I have received the mandate from the philosophical framework to study reality in order to attain knowledge of goodness. In the order of studying reality, we ask first, “What is the first thing we can know about reality?” This is reasonable as if we study the more advanced parts of reality, then we eventually have to regress back to the more foundational parts of reality. Therefore, it is better for us to study first the foundational ideas to avoid further regressions.

The first truth that we can know about reality is apparently perception. What is perception? In brief, perception is immediate contact with reality. This presupposes the idea of reality, but the truth of perception is sufficient to ground the truth of existence. It shall be clearer if we understand that perception are 3 things, sensation, thought, and emotion. These all constitute perception. Yet perception at this point is wholly subjective, is there an objective aspect to perception? Yes, this objective aspect is called information, which shall be important in later topics.

From the truth of perception, we can know that there is such a thing as existence and thus there is such a thing as reality. As reality is axiomatically defined as the sum of all existence, therefore as long as any existence exists, in which case it does, reality does exist. How do we progress from here? We progress by examining perception. There are 2 forms of perception relating to objective reality that is sensation and thought. As thought is more immediate and accessible to us than sensation, we shall investigate thought first.

The first idea is about the relationship between perception and existence. Is there existence outside of perception? We recognize that our perceptions have a beginning in time. Things which have a beginning in time is determined. It is necessary that things which have a beginning in time have a cause outside of itself. Therefore, there must be existence outside of our own perception. Are other existences similar to us in the meaning that they are also perceptions or do they possess distinction between themselves and perception? To this question there is no reasonable answer. However, by the way of perception we may reason that there is a unity between existence and perception, or precisely information

 

As immediately perceived, if existences are not information, then for the very least they must possess information, by which they convey that information to us forming perceptions. Another case is that objects enter perception and therefore cause the existence of perception. Yet that means information exists as a potentiality in every existence. Therefore, it is established that existence and perception are united in one way or another.

The second idea, on perception itself. By perception we immediately understand that we have the capacity of perception, not only of the present, but also of the definitive past and the possible future. We also recognize that we have the capacity of reason, that is we can act upon our perceptions to result in new perceptions. In other words, we can process information to create new information in our minds. Finally, we can act or do something to affect our perceptions or the world around us to create a new perception. As a result of these 3 functionalities, our being are called “intellects”.

The third idea, on the nature of existence itself. We have known that all existences possess some sort of potential information which can be actualized upon contact with an intellect. However, what if there is no intellect, would existence persist? It seems it is possible for existence to persist in the absence of the intellect. Then is it possible for nothing to exist? It seems it is possible for nothing to exist, yet by examining the form of language we recognize that nothing is itself a thing as it can possess existence. Therefore, existence is necessary, that is to say existence cannot go out of existence.

By this we may infer that existence is eternal. That is to say existence has no beginning or end, as it cannot be non-existence, it is forever existence. Since existence is forever existence, it also cannot change, therefore it is immutable. From these facts we infer that existence is simple in 2 ways. First, existence cannot separate and existence is composed of only one part. As if there are real existential distinctions, then these distinctions would not be essential to existence itself. Finally, existence is infinite in 2 ways as well. It is infinite as it is uncaused, and it is infinite as it possess no non-existence, it is wholly existing. There is another name for existence when we have reasoned these essences of existence, that is God, therefore God exists.

The fourth idea, on goodness or what we call goodness. What is goodness? Goodness is that which we perceive as happiness in ourselves. It is therefore a perception, yet behind the perception is existence, therefore goodness is also a form of existence. Goodness is the direction of all change and action. As all things are caused by intellects and the intellects all act in the direction of goodness or at least what each intellect perceives as goodness. From this we may describe what makes an intellect and an action good. An intellect is good if it succeeds in attaining goodness, thaat is true goodness. While actions are good if they bring about true goodness in the end. Finally, the good object is simply that which causes happiness in the intellect.

The fifth idea, on the attributes of God. What is the relationship between God and things which are not God? We know that finite reality exists as finite perceptions exist. Therefore, things which are not God really exist. Now we may say that there is that reality and this reality, but there are really only 2 realities, God and finite reality, or that which we call the universe or the world. We declare that the universe cannot be its own determinant, as for that it must actualize itself and restrict everything else, which means it is infinite and thus making the universe identical to God. Yet only God is infinite, therefore God is the appropriate cause of the universe. This means God is Power.

What is the relationship between God and perception? God contains no possibility of change, or any possibility at all. God is fully actualized. We have recognized that by the way of perception, existence contains potential information. Yet God is infinite and not lacking in anything, so He must possess perception and due to simplicity, be perception and knowledge and intellect in infinity. This establishes God as Knowledge. What is the relationship between God and goodness? God possess all goodness, therefore due to simplicity God Himself is goodness. From an intellectual standpoint, He is also goodness because He intellectually perceives every goodness, so He has succeeded in His actions. Therefore, He is Goodness.

The sixth idea, on the purpose of creation. God is Infinite Goodness, so nothing can be added or subtracted to or from Himself. Yet because God is Goodness, all of His acts must be good. If God’s acts are not good for God, they are necessarily good for something other than God. Yet the only thing other than God is the universe, so it is necessary for God’s acts to be good for the universe. Is it necessary for the intellects to be created or not? We know that God is goodness, so the goodness of the universe is to be like God. The likeness to God consists in the actualized intellect. Therefore it is necessary for the intellects to be created. By what means shall the intellect be like God? They shall be like God by uniting with God. By what means? By the perception or knowledge of God.

The seventh idea, on freedom. God is the sole determinant of the universe and primarily the intellects. The intellects act according to their essence or nature. Yet God is the cause of those nature’s existences. Therefore, all acts of the intellect are fundamentally caused by God. Yet they are not directly caused by God. God causes the essence of the intellects to exist. Then the essence of the intellects cause the actions. Therefore there is a chain of causation consisting in 3 elements, God, the essence, and the action. This idea is commonly known as compatibilism.

The eight idea, on revelation. Is it possible for the intellects to achieve God by their own power? No it is not possible because of their finite nature then there is always an aspect of God that they cannot reach out their own nature. There has to be an act of God to aid them into union with God. Due to the intellectual nature of this union, we say that God reveals Himself to the intellect, therefore this act is aptly called revelation. The objective content of revelation is God and the world, while the moral content is God and the means to God.

There are 2 forms of revelation, natural revelation and supernatural revelation. Natural revelation is revelation received by the intellects according to their nature. While supernatural revelation is the revelation received by the intellects beyond their nature. When God created the universe, the universe itself is a revelation to the intellects, the aspect of the universe and God which the intellects can perceive according to their natural powers is called natural revelation. Everything beyond that which God does reveal to the intellects are called supernatural revelation.

 

Within natural revelation, there are 2 main means of perception, that is thought and sensation. The proper name of natural revelation is philosophy or natural theology, which is the synthesis of revealed thought and sensation. Yet philosophy can also be attributed to the exclusive investigation of the thought, while science is the investigation into sensation. Both are necessary for union with God. Philosophy lays down the foundation for science, and science is the fulfillment of philosophy. By which we as intellects utilize that natural revelation to seek supernatural revelation and eventually be united to God.

How do we verify the claims of supernatural revelation? There are 2 ways, that is internal coherency and external coherency. We first examine the coherency of the claims of said revelation and see if there are any contradictions or not. God is consistent and as such any revelation proceeding from Him cannot be contradictory among each other. After we examine internal coherency we examine external coherency, that is the coherency between the claims of supernatural revelation and natural revelation. As natural revelation is the foundation of certainty, it is by those means then that God’s supernatural revelation is certainly verified as well.

At this point there is a hypothesis which I hold in regards to which claim to supernatural revelation is the true supernatural revelation from God. The hypothesis declares that Catholic Christianity is the true claim to supernatural revelation. I shall reveal the reasons why I think this is true. Only Christianity makes the claim that God is simple existence. No other religion makes that claim. By that single claim, it verifies the entirety of the Christian system. The center of the system is Jesus Christ, who fulfills every past prophecy about Himself and establishes a body, His own body, to firmly interpret Himself which is His Word.

The Word of God is essentially oral and not written, only after some time it is written down as a summary of supernatural revelation. Now, the Word of God needs to be interpreted infallibly. Therefore there is a necessity for an infallible interpreter. Christ laid down the various requirements of this infallible interpreter and only His body, the Catholic Church, fulfills those requirements. Not only that, the Catholic Church is actually Christ Himself, it is His body and therefore they have inherited the authority from Christ to speak in His Name. As such, the teachings of the Catholic Church are truly the teachings of God Himself. With this I declare my next plan to study and reveal the teachings of the Catholic Church. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.