In the philosophy of St. Thomas, the theory of Angel is explicitly based on the Neo-Platonistic principle, and Aristotelian hylomorphism is not consistently maintained. Here, the distinction between intellectus agens and intellectus possibilis in the case of human cognition can not be applied to the angels. It is only to the dimension of cognition that St. Thomas applies the Neo-Platonistic emanationtheory, but he rigidly withholds it from the domain of natura ; thus his theory does not necessarily fall into Pantheism. Yet I would rather limit the application of this emanation-theory to the dimension of supernatural cognition and grace in order to extend the Aristotelian theory, at least, in the domain of Angel's natural cognition. Therefore, as far as his natural cognition is concerned, an angel receives his species intelligibilis directly from the object through the light of his own intellectus agens, and not by divine infusion. Though human phantasma, i.e. ability of representation and imagination can be named intellectus passivus, intellect itself does have two sections : intellectus agens and intellectus pussibilis. Therefore, I think, this, distinction can also be applied to the angels. Pure intellect, being actus primus at its starting point, is intellectus agens and in connection with actus secundus it is still intellectus possibilis. And the proportion of intellectus possibilis to intellectus agens must be the factor that decides the natural order of angels. The light of intellectus agens gives excessive actus to the form of the object directly, and not through the power of phantasma. And its reflection actualizes the intellectus possibilis directly, and not through phantasma. Since the angel needs no successive, fragmental and discursive phantasma, he mirrors the world at a stroke by throwing his own natural light. Thus the world begets as many reflections as the number of angels. Here is neither clouded phantasma nor a imitation caused by its succession and direction. Therefore, the permanent world of angels is transparent. The world somewhat similar to that of Leibniz's Monadology is here unfolded.
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