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Objection 1: It would seem that the soul was not produced by
creation. For that which has in itself something material is produced
from matter. But the soul is in part material, since it is not a pure
act. Therefore the soul was made of matter; and hence it was not
created.
Objection 2: Further, every actuality of matter is educed from the
potentiality of that matter; for since matter is in potentiality to
act, any act pre-exists in matter potentially. But the soul is the
act of corporeal matter, as is clear from its definition. Therefore
the soul is educed from the potentiality of matter.
Objection 3: Further, the soul is a form. Therefore, if the soul
is created, all other forms also are created. Thus no forms would
come into existence by generation; which is not true.
On the contrary, It is written (Gn. 1:27): "God created
man to His own image." But man is like to God in his soul.
Therefore the soul was created.
I answer that, The rational soul can be made only by creation;
which, however, is not true of other forms. The reason is because,
since to be made is the way to existence, a thing must be made in such
a way as is suitable to its mode of existence. Now that properly
exists which itself has existence; as it were, subsisting in its own
existence. Wherefore only substances are properly and truly called
beings; whereas an accident has not existence, but something is
(modified) by it, and so far is it called a being; for instance,
whiteness is called a being, because by it something is white. Hence
it is said Metaph. vii, Did. vi, 1 that an accident should be
described as "of something rather than as something." The same is to
be said of all non-subsistent forms. Therefore, properly speaking,
it does not belong to any non-existing form to be made; but such are
said to be made through the composite substances being made. On the
other hand, the rational soul is a subsistent form, as above explained
(Question 75, Article 2). Wherefore it is competent to be and
to be made. And since it cannot be made of pre-existing
matter---whether corporeal, which would render it a corporeal
being---or spiritual, which would involve the transmutation of one
spiritual substance into another, we must conclude that it cannot exist
except by creation.
Reply to Objection 1: The soul's simple essence is as the material
element, while its participated existence is its formal element; which
participated existence necessarily co-exists with the soul's essence,
because existence naturally follows the form. The same reason holds if
the soul is supposed to be composed of some spiritual matter, as some
maintain; because the said matter is not in potentiality to another
form, as neither is the matter of a celestial body; otherwise the soul
would be corruptible. Wherefore the soul cannot in any way be made of
pre-existent matter.
Reply to Objection 2: The production of act from the potentiality
of matter is nothing else but something becoming actually that
previously was in potentiality. But since the rational soul does not
depend in its existence on corporeal matter, and is subsistent, and
exceeds the capacity of corporeal matter, as we have seen (Question
75, Article 2), it is not educed from the potentiality of
matter.
Reply to Objection 3: As we have said, there is no comparison
between the rational soul and other forms.
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