22 EDWARD D. SIMMONS 



or self-evident. The modes of perseity of concern to us here 

 are the first, second, and fourth. A proposition involves the 

 first mode of perseity when its predicate falls in the definition 

 of its subject, the second when its subject falls in the definition 

 of its predicate, and the fourth when the subject is related to 

 the predicate as a necessary and proper cause .^^ In a strict 

 "propter quid demonstration the major premise has the fourth 

 mode of perseity (e. g., Evei-y rational animal is capable of 

 speech) , the minor premise the first mode of perseity (e. g., 

 Every man is a rational animal) , and the conclusion the second 

 mode of perseity (e. g.. Every man is capable of speech) .^* 

 " Per se " here indicates an essential rather than accidental 

 connection between subject and predicate, and it refers exclu- 

 sively to the objective structure of the propositions. Per se 

 nota, on the other hand, refers rather to intelligible structure 

 apropos of our knowledge of it, i. e., with or without a middle 

 term, on the basis of intrinsic intelligibility or empirical data) . 

 A per se nota proposition is one known immediately on the basis 

 of its intrinsic intelligibility. Every proposition (including the 

 conclusion) in a strict propter quid demonstration must be per 

 se, but only the premises must (and can) be per se nota. 



Yet the case of the proposition in the second mode of perseity 

 cannot be easily disposed of. True enough, as conclusion this 

 proposition cannot be self-evident — at least not to us. But 

 why isn't it self-evident to us? And is it, while not self-evident 

 to us, self-evident in itself .^^ It is necessary prior to demonstra- 

 tion that we know something about the subject and predicate 

 of our conclusion and about the premises from which the con- 

 clusion is generated — that they are and/or what they are. 

 Concerning the predicate of the conclusion, namely, the proper 



^^ Cf., sufra, note 12. 



'* In I Post. Anal., lect. 13, n. 3: " Sciendum autem est quod cum in demonstra- 

 tione probetur passio de subiecto per medium, quod est definitio, oportet quod prima 

 propositio, cuius praedicatum est passio et subiectum est definitio, quae continet 

 principia passionis, sit per se in quarto modo; secunda autem, cuius subiectum est 

 ipsum subiectum et predicatum ipsa definitio in primo modo. Conclusio vero, in 

 qua praedicatur passio de subiecto, est per se in secunda modo." 



