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Some Important Issues in Philosophy |
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The Wonder of Matter - Page 4 IV. Synthesis I have suggested that the original creation of matter by God should be understood in terms of an original matter that was first manifested under the forms of energy, mass, and light. This original matter should be understood not merely as potency, but as the common ground and principle of unity for the whole universe. Hence it involves a bond of unity, "subsistence" for the material universe. We employ the word subsistence and apply it here in its basic Thomistic meaning. Subsistence is the distinct mode of existence which accounts for the singularity of a thing; in this case, for the singularity of the material universe, i.e., for the fat that our is ONE universe of matter, made up of many "parts," "members," "participants," or "relatives." What is implied in the original "potency" of the material universe? First of all, some kind of act. I suggested that the material universe needed as its first act an "inner energy." Teilhard de Chardin spoke of the "within" of things or suprasensible energy as distinguished from the "without" or measurable ("tangential" or accidental) energy. I suggested that the first "within" of the universe, without which the manifestation of energy-mass-light would not have been possible, was an "inner" energy, which Teilhard calls "radial." To use the terminology of St. Thomas, such energy might be called the essential "form," "act," or inner structure of matter. However, this basic structure which manifested itself outwardly and initially in energy, mass and light, implies a potential multiplicity, making it possible for so many things eventually to appear within the universe. This potential multiplicity denotes a positive capacity for all forms accompanying the inner energy mentioned above. The first manifestation of this multiplicity was outwardly manifested in the original "mass" of the universe which together with tangential energy and with light burst out in a visible manner at the very beginning of the universe. The power of radial energy energy and its great potential multiplicity explains the rise of so many outward and diverse forms of energy and mass involved in the evolution of the universe. This means that the universe, at its base, is potentially infinite. As God is actually infinite and consists (as we know through faith) of Three Eternal and Distinct Principles (Persons), so matter, which is potency, consists of many, potential, finite, relative and distinct principles which successively arise within it through the radial power implanted within it and developing according to the plan of God. These distinct principles related to each other become actualized through the evolution of the universe and make up the inner energies or forms of individual things. We come to know them through their outward (accidental) manifestation of (tangential) energy and measurable mass. Thus individual things were only potentially present in the inner power that God conferred on original matter. They became actual only when at the proper time, each distinct thing received its singular mode of existence and is manifested externally. Seen in this perspective the basic structure (form) of each individual material thing is constituted by an inner center of activity with parts, manifested externally by energy and mass. Each actual material thing is essentially limited by its actual parts and their limited capacity. Thomistic? On what ground can I claim that this interpretation of original matter and of material things is "basically" Thomistic as I stated was my purpose in the beginning of the article? As regards original matter it seems obvious to me that St. Thomas would no longer speak of original matter in terms of the known elements of his day but in the light of the available scientific data of our own day. The position that St. Thomas originally held -- the one that became the property of the Franciscan school -- is that matter has a basic "form" which makes it a body before receiving the developed forms under which it becomes intelligible to us in our daily experience. But if we are to be faithful to the Thomistic meaning of "form," it must be understood in terms of a principle of activity -- a dynamic principle. On the other hand, Thomas looked upon intrinsic quantity (a principle of potential plurality of parts) as necessary to every material thing. Matter is thus simultaneously something dynamic and something with potentially multipliable parts, i.e., act and potency or form and matter. Whether we consider the universe as a whole or individual material things, these two principles must really be found, though in varying applications. "Form" and "matter" are terms that must be applied analogously and, like act and potency, can refer to different objective principles of the real order. Furthermore, the same principle, which from one point of view is potency, from another point of view can be act. But in any case the terms are objective in their reference and not mere concepts or words. This requires us to allow considerable adaptability in our understanding of the words "form" and "matter." They are principles, and our understanding of these principles will necessarily change according to our point of reference and to the degree of the perfection of our knowledge. With these qualifications in mind, let us against ask the questions -- what is the essence of every material thing? And what was the original matter created in the beginning of time? In the beginning God created a material universe, which is a composite of two essential principles -- a dynamic principle (form) and a potential principle (a principle of plurality and potential parts). The material universe continues to exist with these two basic principles together with its own subsistence or singularity, and with its manifestations or forms of real (though accidental) energy and mass. Each material thing, because of its own subsistence or singularity is not to be confused with the material universe as such, but is derived from it, and like it, possesses its own dynamic principle (form or act) and a principle of plurality of parts. However, we come to know these principles through their outward manifestation in the accidental order, and hence our knowledge of material things must include many ideas derived from the sensible accidents of things. But we do not confuse such ideas with the two basic ideas which are necessary to understand a material thing in the first place. On the other hand, in ascertaining the "essence" of matter (whether we mean the basic constituents of the original material universe or the essence of individual material things) we must take into account the development of the basic structure of the universe itself and of individual things, as well as the development of our understanding of them. The material universe as it was in the beginning is to be distinguished from the universe as it is today. Furthermore, our knowledge of the material universe has developed, giving rise to many ideas derived from the outward manifestations of the material universe. In a similar way the basic form of each individual material thing admits of greater perfection in different stages of development, and this prompts the mind to derive many ideas from it. These enhance our basic knowledge of the thing in question. Every material thing thus comes to be known in manifold ways, but first and foremost we should think of it in terms of its basic suprasensible composition -- a principle of activity together with a principle of plurality with parts which each thing has as its own and manifests externally. And more fundamentally we must recognize it as a distinct participant or member of the greater whole -- the material universe itself to which it is essentially similar, but distinct from it as a "part" from the "whole." In this way the multiplicity and increase of distinct individual things within the universe is guaranteed in the existential and essential orders, while in the accidental order the conservation of mass and energy is maintained. It has always been a tenet of scholastic philosophy that secondary causality can and must be postulated to explain change in the world, but only God as the Prime Cause is responsible for the existence of each singular thing and for the infusion of a spiritual soul into each human being. God alone knows the actual number of distinct things with their temporal existence and essential composition, that have arisen in the material universe since the beginning of time. How many have appeared and disappeared on the scene of this world, with their mass and energy, reabsorbed, recycled and relocated within the universe! But it is give to man to know a great number of such individual things -- in their existence, in their essential composition and in their accidental manifestations. A key to the understanding of all this lies in the analogous character of the basic ideas that Thomistic philosophy uses to explain the ontological order, beginning with being. We apply the term being to God, to creation, to individual creatures. Yet, in each instance, the reality signified is not completely the same. So with act and potency. An angel is not act in the same sense that God is act. An angel is potency, but not in the same sense that matter is potency. Without the analogy of being a philosophy might be attracted to pantheism, confusing God with the sum total of reality. Just as participation (as previously explained) preserves the singularity of beings in a real community of distinct things, so analogy preserves the varying and distinctive meanings of being against the background of a common meaning. Applying an analogous meaning of "matter" we understand it to mean first of all the material universe as a whole, with its own subsistence and its own basic form and potential plurality of parts. We come to know it better through its accidental manifestation in manifold forms of energy and mass. Thus we understand the material universe as a reality existing independently of the human mind, which however the human mind can come to understand, not only in its manifold manifestations, but also in its basic structure. Within the material universe there are also myriad distinct material things of a material kind, whole basic structure is similar to that of the universe itself from which it has been derived. However, we run the risk of confusing the individual things with its original and continuing source unless we make the proper distinctions. The danger here is not pantheism, but materialism. When we fail to consider that creatures are not God, but similar to Him and derived from Him as efficient cause, we have pantheism. When we fail to consider distinct materials things as having their own ontological structure, which is distinct from, yet similar to original matter and its accidental manifestation, we have materialism. And when we confuse our understanding of material things with material things themselves, we have idealism. Yet a material thing is more than "matter" in the accidental sense of that word and more than a mere "idea" structured by man's mind. A man, in addition, is not only a material but a spiritual kind of being. The concepts involved here all have an objective reference beyond the realm of the senses but accessible to human intelligence. A Third Side to Matter Let us return to the consideration of the material universe in its original constitution and manifestation. In addition to energy and mass there is one other important characteristic of matter that must be taken into account. The first manifestation of matter was the expansion of the material universe according to Einstein's formula (E=mc2). But this is not all. In his theory of relativity Einstein suggested that we are living in a universe curving back on itself because of the total gravitational pull of mass. It would seem that the total gravitational attraction of all the mass makes it impossible for the universe to "escape from itself." Galaxies traveling outward will gradually slow down -- as though there were an elastic net around the entire universe -- and reverse their direction, moving back toward the center from which they were exploded. The universe is moving towards an end. There is deeper significance here. As tangential energy must be explained by an inner (radial) energy as its formal cause, as mass is explained by an essential principle of potential multiplicity within matter, so the "pull" of the universe back upon itself indicates that the universe has an inner finality. At the very heart of matter, there lie three related principles of inner energy, inner potentially infinite capacity for multiplicity and inner tendency. As such, these are beyond the realm of the senses, but they are manifested outwardly (accidentally) to the senses through "tangential" energy, measurable mass, and the gravitational pull of the universe inwards. Like original matter each distinct thing that eventually emerges within the universe has its own "within" or radial energy with a basic structure of distinct parts and an inner drive. These are manifested externally through the tangential energy, measurable mass, and discernible inclinations proper to each thing. But, at its core, each supposit or individual thing is much more than a mere aggregate of measurable quantity and discernible drives. Rather each thing is a center of inner energy and purposefulness, a "partner" with so many other things in the vast organization of the physical universe. Thus material things "participate" not only in the universe of being but also in the material universe which they share together. The basic structure of the material universe involves inner energy and dynamism, potential multiplicity of parts, and inherent tendency to centricity. Within this expanding universe there have emerged in the past and there emerge now distinct units of matter, each of which (metaphysically) involves a singular mode of existence with a developed form of matter with parts of its own. Hence the "essence" of a material thing consists in a center of energy and an intelligible organization of distinct parts of matter. These are manifested externally by proper activities and by extrinsic quantity, which are characteristic accidents of material things. How do these individual material things arise within the physical universe? Not merely from the inner energy and drive of the universe, but also from the activity of God working within the universe. Only the ultimate causality of God can account for the existence, the singularity and the suprasensible principles which are involved in material beings. Our senses perceive the accidental appearances and manifestations of such things -- our intellect pierces beneath to their ontological condition -- single centers of unity with a plurality of intrinsic parts and purpose proper to each thing. In the last analysis, these things are not only "relatives" to each other, but relatives of God. Without reference to Him, neither their existence nor their mutual relationships nor their multiplicity can be adequately explained. Similarly, man's knowledge about them, however advanced and progressive, cannot be satisfied with mere scientific investigations and abstract philosophical reflection about the universe. We need to explain, to extrapolate further, to discover the divine purpose of the development of man's knowledge. The Finality of the Material Universe and Man's Knowledge Twentieth-century man is faced with the challenge of finding purpose in the evolution of the material universe, seen against the background of the "explosion" of human knowledge. He perceives both in the perspective of the possibility of total annihilation. Can such an ending be "the first in intention" of the Creator -- the last in execution? A positive answer to this question seems preposterous, an absurdity unacceptable to a Christian thinker. Modern science suggests that this universe originated billions of years ago with the immense explosion of some kind of "primordial atom," foreshadowing the atomic and nuclear explosions known to contemporary man. Billions of years ago the Einsteinian formula of E=mc2 seemingly had its application in an outward demonstration that no one was there to see. In the divine plan what was the purpose of such an explosion? The material universe and all material things which emerged in it it, according to Christian thought, are directed to Man. Man is directed to Christ. Christ is directed to God. Christian perspective in its general outline is clear enough, but how does it apply here? Let us retrace our steps to consider again the purpose of the universe as previously outlined. The purpose of the material universe is to proclaim the glory of God and thus bring individual men and mankind to the "knowledge with praise" of God. This purpose has been frustrated from the beginning by man's sin. Man's sin has ranged from disobedience to God, to the idolatry of matter, to the worship of human spirit, to militant atheism. The darkness of atheism and materialism, with their consequent effects in several areas of human life and knowledge, threaten the continuance of the human race on earth. Yet the finality of the universe cannot be frustrated. Before that finality can be achieved, however, the veil of blindness which has obscured man's vision must be removed. The first thing necessary is to allow the natural functioning of human intelligence to achieve its God-directed goal. Both the material universe, with its infinite capacity to be known in its diverse ramifications, and human intelligence with its infinite capacity for knowledge naturally lead to God. The material universe is fashioned according to the divine ideas and display a divine plan and divine power. Human intelligence, as St. Thomas says, in understanding is in a way extended unto infinity. Man implicitly knows God in every act of knowledge as its Unconditional Source, and he is naturally driven to affirm His existence. On the horizon of man's knowledge and of the material universe GOD looms large. Once having regained clear vision, mankind must affirm not only God's existence, but also God's purpose. In the words of Teilhard de Chardin: "The day will come when after harnessing the winds, the waves, the tides and the law of gravity, we shall harness, for God, the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire!"
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