Theory of Knowledge: Epistemological Realism of Aristotle and Aquinas

The Theory of Knowledge: Epistemological Realism of Aristotle and Aquinas

General Characteristics

1. Two Levels of Knowledge: Distinguishes between sensitive (sensory) and intellectual (understanding) knowledge.
2. Empiricism: Sensitive knowledge captures aspects of reality, while intellectual knowledge grasps aspects beyond sensory experience, such as causality and logical implications. Both levels are integrated within human knowledge.
3. Realism: Knowledge is of reality itself, caused by the objects themselves. It is the faculty by which we become aware of reality.

Sensitive Knowledge

Human knowledge begins with the senses, capturing the sensible qualities of things, forming the base of knowledge content.

1. Sense Organs: The senses, both external (5 senses) and internal (common sense, imagination, memory), are affected by objects.
2. Capturing Qualities: Senses capture two types of qualities: proper sensibles (colors, smells, tastes, sounds, tactile sensations) and common sensibles (magnitude, figure, number, unity, plurality, movement, stillness). These objective qualities form the percept, a concrete image of an object.
3. Perception and Imagination: The common sense centralizes sensory perceptions. Imagination preserves and reproduces sensory impressions and images, bridging sensory knowledge and understanding by providing material for concept formation.

Intellectual Knowledge

Understanding uses concepts, especially universals and abstract ideas (e.g., virtue, goodness). It encompasses general, universal, and necessary knowledge (logical, mathematical, scientific), transcendental knowledge, self-consciousness, and reflection. Its characteristics are universality, abstractness, and immateriality.

The Process of Intellectual Knowledge and Concept Formation

Aristotle and Aquinas identify two levels of understanding:

1. Active Intellect: This level performs abstraction, forming concepts by working on the concrete, material input from sensitive knowledge, transmitted through imagination and memory.
2. Passive Intellect: This level utilizes pre-formed abstract concepts to achieve understanding of the world, expressed in everyday language and science. It deals with universals, the essence of things, enabling thought, judgment, and reasoning.