Folia Theologica et Canonica 2. 24/16 (2013)
SACRA THEOLOGIA - Sebastian Walsh, O.Praem., “Fidelissimus Discipulus Eius”: Charles De Köninck’s Exposition of Aquinas’ Doctrine on the Common Good
“FIDELISSIMUS DISCIPULUS EIUS” 135 each of its parts, but it is present according to complete power [only] in its highest part, since the superior power always has in itself more completely those things which are in the inferior powers.”5 De Köninck is aware that of the three kinds of whole, the integral is best known, the universal second best known and the potential whole is least known to us. A sign of this is that St. Thomas explains the potential whole by means of the other two. A simple example will illustrate the difference between an integral whole and a universal whole. A triangle can be considered as an integral whole which is composed of its parts, namely, its three sides. It can also be considered as a universal whole which is divided into the three species or kinds of triangle, namely, equilateral, isosceles and scalene. In the integral whole no part can be given the name of the whole, since no part is what the whole is. But in the case of a universal whole, each part is what the whole is: an equilateral triangle is as much a triangle as an isosceles triangle is. Another example can be used to explain the difference between a potential whole and the other kinds of whole. Color can be divided into its various species, such as blue, white, yellow, green, red, etc. In this case, color is considered as a universal whole and its various species, all of which are themselves colors, are its universal parts. But it is also true that the color white has the ability to produce the other colors, such when white light is passed through a prism, the various colors of the spectrum appear. In this case, white is a potential whole which includes the various colors of the spectrum as its parts since it has the ability to produce those colors. Notice how different this is from the universal whole, since none of those particular colors of the spectrum produced by white are themselves white, even though they are somehow contained by and in white. As I mentioned before, we have a tendency to fall back upon meanings of terms that are better known to us. And thus we should expect that the less known senses of the term “whole” will sometimes be confused with the better known senses of the term “whole.” An interesting example of this is found in the platonic dialogue Parmenides. There the young Socrates attempts to defend his doctrine of universals against the objections of the older, wiser Parmenides. At one point in the dialogue, Parmenides tricks Socrates into confusing the universal whole with the integral whole: [Parmenides:] “Do you think the whole idea, being one, is in each of its many participants, or what?” “Yes, for what prevents it from being in them Parmenides?” said Socrates. 5 In USent., d.9, q.l, a.3, ad.l.
