1.1 Erat there was Bonōniae at Bologna carpentārius a carpenter quīdam a certain nōmine by name Laurentius Lawrence quī who mēnsam a table pulchram beautiful ex from lignō wood quernō of oak fabricāverat had made
1.2 Cui to whom cum when dīxissem I had said “cūr why haec this mēnsa table est?” exists rīsit he laughed et and dīxit said “quia because ego I eam it fēcī” made
1.3 Et and vērum the truth dīxit he spoke —sed but nōn not tōtum the whole vērum truth
2.1 Cum when enim indeed quaerimus we ask “cūr why aliquid does something est?” exist haec this quaestiō question nōn not ūnō in one modō way tantum only respondērī to be answered potest is able sed but quattuor in four modīs ways
2.2 Philosophus the Philosopher enim for docet teaches in in secundō the second book Physicōrum of the Physics quattuor four esse there are genera kinds causārum of causes —et and quī one who omnia all quattuor four nōn does not cognōscit know nōndum not yet plēnē fully intellegit understands cūr why rēs a thing sit is
3.1 Prīma the first causa cause est is causa the cause māteriālis material —ex out of quō what aliquid something fit is made
3.2 Cūr why haec this mēnsa table est? exists —quia because ex from lignō wood quernō of oak facta made est it was —lignum the wood est is māteria the matter ex out of quā which mēnsa the table constat consists
3.3 Secunda the second causa cause est is causa the cause formālis formal —quid what rēs a thing est is
3.4 Cūr why haec this mēnsa table est? exists —quia because hanc this figūram shape et and hanc this disposītiōnem arrangement habet it has quā by which mēnsa a table est it is et and nōn not aliud something else —nam for ex out of eōdem the same lignō wood et also sella a chair et and lectus a bed fierī to be made potuissent could have
3.5 Tertia the third causa cause est is causa the cause efficiens efficient —ā by quō whom aliquid something fit is made
3.6 Cūr why haec this mēnsa table est? exists —quia because Laurentius Lawrence carpentārius the carpenter eam it fabricāvit made —ars the art et and labor the work eius his mēnsam the table in into esse being prōdūxērunt brought
3.7 Quārta the fourth causa cause est is causa the cause fīnālis final —propter for quid what aliquid something fit is made
3.8 Cūr why haec this mēnsa table est? exists —quia because Laurentius Lawrence voluit wished locum a place habēre to have ubi where cum with familiā his family suā his cēnāret he might dine —et and haec this est is causa the cause propter on account of quam which omnia all alia the other things facta were done sunt were
4.1 “Sed” but inquit said Laurentius Lawrence “quae which ex of hīs these quattuor four est is prīncipālis?” the principal one
4.2 Respondeō I answer dīcendum that it is to be said quod that causa the cause fīnālis final est is causa the cause causārum of causes
4.3 Nam for cūr why tū did you lignum the wood cēpistī? take —propter on account of mēnsam the table —cūr why hanc this formam shape imposuistī? did you impose —propter on account of mēnsam the table —cūr why fabricāvistī? did you make it —propter on account of mēnsam the table
4.4 Māteria the matter et and forma the form et and efficiens the efficient cause omnia all ā by fīne the end moventur are moved —fīnis the end est is prīmum the first thing in in intentiōne intention et and ultimum the last thing in in execūtiōne execution
4.5 Antequam before lignum wood tetigeris you touched iam already mēnsam the table in in mente your mind habēbās you had —fīnis the end prīor prior erat was etiam even cum when opus the work nōndum not yet incēpisset had begun
5.1 Sī if quis someone autem however dē about mēnsā the table sōlam only causam the cause efficientem efficient cōgnōsceret were to know —scīret he would know quod that Laurentius Lawrence eam it fēcit made sed but nōn not cūr why fēcit he made it nec nor ex out of quō what nec nor quid what sit it is
5.2 Et and hoc this est is quod what plērīsque most accidit happens to quī those who dē about nātūrā nature inquīrunt inquire —causam the cause efficientem efficient quaerunt they seek et and inveniunt find quod that which laudandum is to be praised est is —sed but causam the cause fīnālem final neglegunt they neglect quod which dēplōrandum is to be deplored est is
5.3 Quī one who enim indeed scit knows quōmodo how rēs a thing fīat comes to be sed but nōn not propter for quid what fīat it comes to be dīmidiam half scientiam of science habet has nōn not tōtam the whole
6.1 Quod what dē about mēnsā the table dīximus we have said dē about tōtō the whole mundō world dīcendum is to be said est is
6.2 Deus God est is causa the cause efficiens efficient omnium of all things —ab from ipsō him omnia all things in into esse being prōducta were brought sunt were
6.3 Deus God est is causa the cause exemplāris exemplary omnium of all things —nam for ideae the ideas rērum of things in in mente the mind dīvīnā divine praeexsistunt pre-exist sīcut just as forma the form mēnsae of the table in in mente the mind carpentāriī of the carpenter praeexsistit pre-exists
6.4 Deus God est is causa the cause fīnālis final omnium of all things —ad toward ipsum him omnia all things ōrdinantur are ordered sīcut just as ad toward ultimum their ultimate fīnem end suum their
6.5 Sed but Deus God nōn is not est is causa the cause māteriālis material mundi of the world —mundus the world nōn was not ex from Deō God factus made est was sīcut as mēnsa the table ex from lignō wood —sed but ex from nihilō nothing creātus created est was
6.6 Et and hoc this est is mīrābilissimum the most wonderful thing —quod that faber the craftsman mortālis mortal semper always ex from aliquō something operātur works —Deus God autem however sōlus alone ex from nihilō nothing operārī to work potest is able
7.1 Laurentius Lawrence haec these things audīvit heard et and dīxit said “anteā before sōlam only ūnam one causam cause vidēbam I used to see —mē myself ipsum myself —nunc now autem however quattuor four videō I see —et and intellegō I understand nōn not mē myself prīncipālem the principal one esse to be sed but fīnem the end propter on account of quem which omnia all things faciō” I do
7.2 Rēctē rightly —et and quī one who hoc this intellegit understands dē about mēnsā a table propius closer est is ad to intellegendum understanding hoc this dē about mundō the world —nam for mundus the world ipse itself nōn not sine without causīs causes est exists et and nōn not sine without fīne an end
7.3 Quī one who ergō therefore quaerit asks “cūr?” why is that person philosophātur philosophizes —quī one who autem however omnēs all quattuor four causās causes quaerit asks is that person plēnē fully philosophātur philosophizes
7.4 Nam for dīmidium half causārum of causes cognōscere to know est is dīmidium half vēritātis of the truth cognōscere to know —quī one who autem however dīmidium half vēritātis of the truth cognōscit knows adhūc still in in errōre error versātur dwells
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1.1 Erat Bonōniae carpentārius quīdam nōmine Laurentius, quī mēnsam pulchram ex lignō quernō fabricāverat.
1.2 Cui cum dīxissem “cūr haec mēnsa est?” rīsit et dīxit: “Quia ego eam fēcī.”
1.3 Et vērum dīxit — sed nōn tōtum vērum.
2.1 Cum enim quaerimus “cūr aliquid est?” haec quaestiō nōn ūnō modō tantum respondērī potest, sed quattuor modīs.
2.2 Philosophus enim docet in secundō Physicōrum quattuor esse genera causārum — et quī omnia quattuor nōn cognōscit, nōndum plēnē intellegit cūr rēs sit.
3.1 Prīma causa est causa māteriālis — ex quō aliquid fit.
3.2 Cūr haec mēnsa est? — quia ex lignō quernō facta est — lignum est māteria ex quā mēnsa constat.
3.3 Secunda causa est causa formālis — quid rēs est.
3.4 Cūr haec mēnsa est? — quia hanc figūram et hanc disposītiōnem habet quā mēnsa est et nōn aliud — nam ex eōdem lignō et sella et lectus fierī potuissent.
3.5 Tertia causa est causa efficiens — ā quō aliquid fit.
3.6 Cūr haec mēnsa est? — quia Laurentius carpentārius eam fabricāvit — ars et labor eius mēnsam in esse prōdūxērunt.
3.7 Quārta causa est causa fīnālis — propter quid aliquid fit.
3.8 Cūr haec mēnsa est? — quia Laurentius voluit locum habēre ubi cum familiā suā cēnāret — et haec est causa propter quam omnia alia facta sunt.
4.1 “Sed,” inquit Laurentius, “quae ex hīs quattuor est prīncipālis?”
4.2 Respondeō dīcendum quod causa fīnālis est causa causārum.
4.3 Nam cūr tū lignum cēpistī? — propter mēnsam. Cūr hanc formam imposuistī? — propter mēnsam. Cūr fabricāvistī? — propter mēnsam.
4.4 Māteria et forma et efficiens omnia ā fīne moventur — fīnis est prīmum in intentiōne et ultimum in execūtiōne.
4.5 Antequam lignum tetigeris, iam mēnsam in mente habēbās — fīnis prīor erat etiam cum opus nōndum incēpisset.
5.1 Sī quis autem dē mēnsā sōlam causam efficientem cōgnōsceret — scīret quod Laurentius eam fēcit, sed nōn cūr fēcit nec ex quō nec quid sit.
5.2 Et hoc est quod plērīsque accidit quī dē nātūrā inquīrunt — causam efficientem quaerunt et inveniunt, quod laudandum est — sed causam fīnālem neglegunt, quod dēplōrandum est.
5.3 Quī enim scit quōmodo rēs fīat sed nōn propter quid fīat, dīmidiam scientiam habet, nōn tōtam.
6.1 Quod dē mēnsā dīximus, dē tōtō mundō dīcendum est.
6.2 Deus est causa efficiens omnium — ab ipsō omnia in esse prōducta sunt.
6.3 Deus est causa exemplāris omnium — nam ideae rērum in mente dīvīnā praeexsistunt, sīcut forma mēnsae in mente carpentāriī praeexsistit.
6.4 Deus est causa fīnālis omnium — ad ipsum omnia ōrdinantur sīcut ad ultimum fīnem suum.
6.5 Sed Deus nōn est causa māteriālis mundi — mundus nōn ex Deō factus est sīcut mēnsa ex lignō — sed ex nihilō creātus est.
6.6 Et hoc est mīrābilissimum — quod faber mortālis semper ex aliquō operātur — Deus autem sōlus ex nihilō operārī potest.
7.1 Laurentius haec audīvit et dīxit: “Anteā sōlam ūnam causam vidēbam — mē ipsum — nunc autem quattuor videō — et intellegō nōn mē prīncipālem esse, sed fīnem propter quem omnia faciō.”
7.2 Rēctē — et quī hoc intellegit dē mēnsā, propius est ad intellegendum hoc dē mundō — nam mundus ipse nōn sine causīs est et nōn sine fīne.
7.3 Quī ergō quaerit “cūr?” is philosophātur — quī autem omnēs quattuor causās quaerit, is plēnē philosophātur.
7.4 Nam dīmidium causārum cognōscere est dīmidium vēritātis cognōscere — quī autem dīmidium vēritātis cognōscit, adhūc in errōre versātur.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Thomā per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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