Chapter 078 - The Faculties of the Soul in Particular

The genus of souls is threefold, viz. vegetable, sensitive, and intellectual; for souls are distinguished according to the superiority of their operation over that of corporeal nature; - all corporeal nature being below the soul, and only united to it as instrument and material. Hence the vegetative soul operates in itself and by itself, although by means of certain elementary organs and qualities; the sensitive soul makes use of corporeal organs without the aid of such natural qualities, except in as far as they are necessary to the disposition of the organs; while the intellectual soul is independent of everything, and does not make use of corporeal organs at all.

And the genus of the faculties is distinguished according to their object: the object being more universal in proportion as the faculty is higher, while the faculties themselves are divided into five, viz. vegetative, sensitive, intellectual, appetitive, and those which regard local motion.

The modes of life are four: first, vegetative, as in plants; second, sensitive, without local motion, as in shells; third, perfect animal life, which has the power of local motion, because animals require many things to sustain life; and, finally, intellectual life in man. The appetitive faculty does not constitute a separate grade of life, because where there is sense, there is also appetite.

We find three parts in the vegetative life; for a living body, as such, requires three operations, namely, to be nourished, to grow, and to generate. Of these faculties the highest is the generative, for the nutritive and augmentative have their effect within themselves; the generative, not in itself, but in another body, since nothing generates itself. In this it approaches the dignity of the sensitive soul, which has its operation in exterior things in a more excellent and more universal manner. And the nutritive faculty serves the augmentative, while both serve the generative.

There are also five senses, properly distinguished, not arising out of organs or media; for the organs are for the faculties and not vice versa. They exist, however, according to the diversity of exterior objects; for sense, being a passive faculty, is susceptible of alteration by external things, which things are of five species: therefore the senses are also five in number. Some, such as sight, are affected only spiritually; others both spiritually and physically.

The interior senses of sensitive nature are four in number, viz. general sense, imagination, instinct, and memory. Since it is the office of the faculties to supply whatever is required for the life of the perfect animal, these faculties are the proximate principle of the operation of the soul, both with regard to things present and to such as are absent. Were it otherwise, animals would not require them, the contrary of which appears; for animals are moved by apprehension, and since they not only apprehend, but also retain, different principles are required. Moreover, animals are moved, not only by exterior things, pleasing or displeasing to sense, but by the desire of commodities, or the fear of injury, belonging to a different order. Thus we see a sheep fly from a wolf as the natural enemy of its race; or birds gathering straws and other things suitable for making their nests, although there is nothing in these things attractive to sense. Hence we must admit a distinct interior sensitive faculty not perceptive of exterior sensations. There is also a general sense for the reception of sensible forms, and for retaining them in the imagination, as well as for apprehending intentions, which is called in us particular reason, in animals instinct; and there is memory for preserving them.