proof from FINAL CAUSE

primary cause
intermediary cause
final cause

discussions of these natural activities can be found in
aristotles' physica
and the concepts are carried over into
metaphysica for it was understood
by aristotle at least if not by others
until perhaps boethius
and the aristotelean revival
of the early middle ages
that there is in the actual perceived and
experienced development of natural phenomena
a procession which can be observed and
was in fact noted and discussed by many

the idea behind the FINAL CAUSE is
a little different from the notion we have of causes
for we are prone to think of cause and effect
this action caused that outcome
this punch in the nose
caused that blood to flow etc.

but the philosophical understanding of causes
was a bit more nuanced
and that is all one has to know

thus when we speak of Final Cause
it is simply the "completion" of the "stages"
of existence which we observe in animate things

to be sure
thomas aquinas took the concepts from aristotle
and applied them to metaphysics as they are understood
in relation to the life of human beings

but at the basic level of biological life
we know quite well
that things begin in a somewhat dormant phase
what was understood in classical greek thinking as
in potentia

a seed unplanted will remain in a state of dormant potency
for a very long time
and will either decompose
or will perchance be planted and watered
and spring forth into the various phases of in acta
whereby the observable proceedings of growth ensue

it seems modern philosophy has for the most part
done away with this very useful pairing of the
stages of life
we don't think these days of potency
in any other sense than perhaps something containing some inherent energy

and the word act
is limited now it appears
to human behavior
or perhaps animal behaviour
but we think of act
as something someone will deliberatly attempt

Karol Woytila in his astounding work
THE ACTING PERSON
clarifies the ancient use of this word
and then relates it beautifully to the
more modern interpretation

so then
a rosebud emerges on the stem near a leaf
and slowly but surely becomes what it
most perfectly is and at some point carries
with its very existence something that
gives us pause
something that perhaps inspires love
but then it is not long
that the "peak" of its existence is certain
and the petals wilt and turn brown
and the bloom is destined to finality
only to be followed by another and another
in the precise same sequence

what was called the FINAL CAUSE by thomas
was not however the dried up residual memory
of the rose
rather it was that fulfillment
the state we observe as being its perfection
the thing we put our nose to and stand back
in mild intoxication

the notion is complicated when we consider the human being
for it becomes necessary to enter into the discussion of
the "soul" "the nature of mind" "the spiritual dimension of man"
for thomas it is a matter of inarguable fact that
man is possessed of an "immortal soul"
and this fact is inseparable from our notion of "mind"
and our notion of "person" as well
"the body is the form of the soul"
is a dictum one can encounter in thomas
when he discourses on human nature and the life
of the soul

yet to focus in on the notion of "soul"
is to consider something for which ultimately we
must acknoweldge
there is no substance
or is "immaterial substance"
in that it can be deduced to exist
i can discern in the thoughts of my friend sally mcgill
(earthlingwonders.blogspot.com)
that a mind is at work
but i cannot point to her mind
i cannot "observe" her mind in any way other than
the evidence that comes forth in her spoken or written thoughts

as my mentor Fr Eleutherius Winance was fond of saying:
"if a surgeon cuts into my brain he will not be able to read my thoughts!"

so then it was equally obvious to thomas that
this meant that the mind is not susceptible
to decay and a return to prime matter
as is the body
no
there is something else
and no other creature appears to be in possession
of such a quality
(animal lovers might wish to argue this)

this being the case
the FINAL CAUSE of man
while corresponding to the growth in perfection
that all other creatures experience
must in fact happen beyond the existential domain

it is a radical diminishment of the human being
to neglect this

all of thomas' work was an effort to establish
theological principles in a manner which was
rational reasonable and accessible to
anyone who wished to consider the matter

he was an aristotelian by wisdom
and an augustinian by religious inspiration
these two influences
matched with his unique power of comprehension
and synthesis
are the factors we must consider when critiqueing him

nonetheless
it stands to reason
that the human mind
the human soul
the human spirit
that aspect of all human beings
which we perceive as the vital expression of person
is in fact "transcendent"

and this transcendent aspect is what must ascend
to a perfected state beyond the experience of living in this world

it follows then
that the FINAL CAUSE of human beings
is a perfected state to which we can aspire
or take our chances with
by working around the thinking of benign skepticism
or simple "atheism"

and that FINAL CAUSE
we call god