[MD] Reading & Comprehension

[skutvik at online.no]

Hi Joe 

25 May:
> In a Dominican monastery from 1962 to 1964 I was taught a metaphysics,
> which Thomas Aquinas adapted from Aristotle in the 13th century.  It
> began with a substance/accident division of reality.  A substance has
> real existence.  An accident participates in and modifies the
> existence of the substance. 

Right, Aristotle's dualism was "Form/Substance" and (according to 
you)  Aquinas' modification  Accident/Substance. OK, the crucial thing 
is that all  are variations of the early Greek's False/True. Many have 
problems with Plato thinking his Ideas correspond to the present day 
article (which is our false part) but they were his true reality while 
senses represented falsity .    

> Quality and quantity were the first two accidents in a list of seven or
> eight.  

Yes, we know that quality, values. moral  became false secondary 
accidental after the Greeks - subjective in modern lingo.

> This information was called subject/object metaphysics.  Thing, one,
> true, good, were transcendentals in that they could be said of
> everything existing. 

But trust Joe to turn enigmatic :-) 

At least the Greek SOM came to put its stamp on Christendom 
through Aristotle by way of Aquinas, humankind got a Soul which was 
the primary, eternal part while the Body was secondary and 
perishable. My long-standing assertion is that Christendom is deeply 
intellect-influenced in contrast to Judaism & Islam as continuations of 
the old Social reality. Thus the Renaissance and Enlightenment did 
NOT emerge in spite of Christendom but because of it and the big 
question is why the Muslim world can't become "modern" and why the 
Jews forever must be torn between their orthodox and secular 
factions?  

Bodvar