Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that wisdom is not in the intellect as its subject. For Augustine says (Ep. cxx) that "wisdom is the charity of God." Now charity is in the will as its subject, and not in the intellect, as stated above (Question 24, Article 1). Therefore wisdom is not in the intellect as its subject.

Objection 2: Further, it is written (Ecclus. 6:23): "The wisdom of doctrine is according to her name," for wisdom may be described as "sweet-tasting science ," and this would seem to regard the appetite, to which it belongs to taste spiritual pleasure or sweetness. Therefore wisdom is in the appetite rather than in the intellect.

Objection 3: Further, the intellective power is sufficiently perfected by the gift of understanding. Now it is superfluous to require two things where one suffices for the purpose. Therefore wisdom is not in the intellect.

On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. ii, 49) that "wisdom is contrary to folly." But folly is in the intellect. Therefore wisdom is also.

I answer that, As stated above (Article 1), wisdom denotes a certain rectitude of judgment according to the Eternal Law. Now rectitude of judgment is twofold: first, on account of perfect use of reason, secondly, on account of a certain connaturality with the matter about which one has to judge. Thus, about matters of chastity, a man after inquiring with his reason forms a right judgment, if he has learnt the science of morals, while he who has the habit of chastity judges of such matters by a kind of connaturality.

Accordingly it belongs to the wisdom that is an intellectual virtue to pronounce right judgment about Divine things after reason has made its inquiry, but it belongs to wisdom as a gift of the Holy Ghost to judge aright about them on account of connaturality with them: thus Dionysius says (Div. Nom. ii) that "Hierotheus is perfect in Divine things, for he not only learns, but is patient of, Divine things."

Now this sympathy or connaturality for Divine things is the result of charity, which unites us to God, according to 1 Cor. 6:17: "He who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit." Consequently wisdom which is a gift, has its cause in the will, which cause is charity, but it has its essence in the intellect, whose act is to judge aright, as stated above (1.2, Question 14, Article 1).

Reply to Objection 1: Augustine is speaking of wisdom as to its cause, whence also wisdom takes its name, in so far as it denotes a certain sweetness . Hence the Reply to the Second Objection is evident, that is if this be the true meaning of the text quoted. For, apparently this is not the case, because such an exposition of the text would only fit the Latin word for wisdom, whereas it does not apply to the Greek and perhaps not in other languages. Hence it would seem that in the text quoted wisdom stands for the renown of doctrine, for which it is praised by all.

Reply to Objection 3: The intellect exercises a twofold act, perception and judgment. The gift of understanding regards the former; the gift of wisdom regards the latter according to the Divine ideas, the gift of knowledge, according to human ideas.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod sapientia non sit in intellectu sicut in subiecto.

Dicit enim Augustinus, in libro de gratia novi test., quod sapientia est caritas dei.

Sed caritas est sicut in subiecto in voluntate, non in intellectu, ut supra habitum est.

Ergo sapientia non est in intellectu sicut in subiecto.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, Eccli. VI dicitur, sapientia doctrinae secundum nomen eius est.

Dicitur autem sapientia quasi sapida scientia, quod videtur ad affectum pertinere, ad quem pertinet experiri spirituales delectationes sive dulcedines.

Ergo sapientia non est in intellectu, sed magis in affectu.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, potentia intellectiva sufficienter perficitur per donum intellectus. Sed ad id quod potest fieri per unum superfluum esset plura ponere. Ergo non est in intellectu.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Gregorius dicit, in II Moral., quod sapientia contrariatur stultitiae.

Sed stultitia est in intellectu. Ergo et sapientia.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, sapientia importat quandam rectitudinem iudicii secundum rationes divinas. Rectitudo autem iudicii potest contingere dupliciter, uno modo, secundum perfectum usum rationis; alio modo, propter connaturalitatem quandam ad ea de quibus iam est iudicandum. Sicut de his quae ad castitatem pertinent per rationis inquisitionem recte iudicat ille qui didicit scientiam moralem, sed per quandam connaturalitatem ad ipsa recte iudicat de eis ille qui habet habitum castitatis. Sic igitur circa res divinas ex rationis inquisitione rectum iudicium habere pertinet ad sapientiam quae est virtus intellectualis, sed rectum iudicium habere de eis secundum quandam connaturalitatem ad ipsa pertinet ad sapientiam secundum quod donum est spiritus sancti, sicut dionysius dicit, in II cap. De div. Nom., quod Hierotheus est perfectus in divinis non solum discens, sed et patiens divina.

Huiusmodi autem compassio sive connaturalitas ad res divinas fit per caritatem, quae quidem unit nos deo, secundum illud I ad Cor. VI, qui adhaeret deo unus spiritus est.

Sic igitur sapientia quae est donum causam quidem habet in voluntate, scilicet caritatem, sed essentiam habet in intellectu, cuius actus est recte iudicare, ut supra habitum est.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod Augustinus loquitur de sapientia quantum ad suam causam.

Ex qua etiam sumitur nomen sapientiae, secundum quod saporem quendam importat.

Ad 2

Unde patet responsio ad secundum. Si tamen iste sit intellectus illius auctoritatis. Quod non videtur, quia talis expositio non convenit nisi secundum nomen quod habet sapientia in Latina lingua. In Graeco autem non competit; et forte nec in aliis linguis. Unde potius videtur nomen sapientiae ibi accipi pro eius fama, qua a cunctis commendatur.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod intellectus habet duos actus, scilicet percipere, et iudicare. Ad quorum primum ordinatur donum intellectus, ad secundum autem, secundum rationes divinas, donum sapientiae; sed secundum rationes humanas, donum scientiae.