288 ROMAN A. KOCOUREK 



is " like the eyes of the owl when in the light of day." The 

 Greeks in general, and Aristotle in particular, were very con- 

 scious of the fact that while man has an intellect there are 

 other intellects in the universe. What is more, they were quite 

 thoroughly convinced that the human intellect was the weakest 

 of all. It is, I think, a tribute to the Greek genius, especially 

 as it was realized in Aristotle, that it was able, by capitalizing 

 on its very inadequacies, in some way to overcome its inherent 

 limitations. Thus Aristotle showed that a science of first phi- 

 losophy could be attained if it is begun on the basis of sound 

 doctrine in the study of Nature. That this meant for him not 

 only a study of the very general principles but also an analysis 

 which would extend to the very elements of which things are 

 composed, is well brought out by the commentator on the 

 Meteorology of Aristotle. 



It must be considered that the science of this book, and likewise 

 of all natural science, should not be despised by man. In fact, he 

 who despises it despises himself. And, although many say that 

 natural science should not be prized because it has no utility in 

 the study of divine things, in which the most blessed life and the 

 happiness of man consists, as the Philosopher says in X Ethics, 

 still these men deceive themselves. Not only the science of this 

 book, but also the whole of natural science, where we consider both 

 the common things and those particular and proper to each part, 

 is ordered to the study of divine things. This is because we arrive 

 at a knowledge of the causes through the manifest and natural 

 things which are as effects. This is why the Philosopher in the 

 Metaphysics begins with sensible substances and in the twelfth 

 book proves the nature of separated substances through argu- 

 ments drawn from astronomy.^ 



Thus, while the study of being is in some way above the 

 capacities of man, it is this very difficulty which makes it 

 appropriate as an ultimate end. In the Greek ideal, man's 

 aspirations could only be satisfied in the contemplation of 

 things which would in at least a limited way carry him beyond 

 his changing, sensible existence. In the Ethics and Politics 



^Anon. in Opera Omnia of St. Thomas, In IV Meteor., lect. 1, n. 2. 



