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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 19

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XIX.—The Intellect Coeval with the Soul in the Human Being. An Example from Aristotle Converted into Evidence Favourable to These Views.

Nor must we fail to notice those writers who deprive the

‹ Chapter 18 Chapter 20 ›

soul

of

the

intellect

even

for

a

short

period

of

time

.

They

do

this

in

order

to

prepare

the

way

of

introducing

the

intellect

—

and

the

mind

also

—

at

a

subsequent

time

of

life

,

even

at

the

time

when

intelligence

appears

in

a

man

.

They

maintain

that

the

stage

of

infancy

is

supported

by

the

soul

alone

,

simply

to

promote

vitality

,

without

any

intention

of

acquiring

knowledge

also

,

because

not

all

things

have

knowledge

which

possess

life

.

Trees

,

for

instance

,

to

quote

Aristotle’s

example

,

have

vitality

,

but

have

not

knowledge

;

and

with

him

agrees

every

one

who

gives

a

share

to

all

animated

beings

of

the

animal

substance

,

which

,

according

to

our

view

,

exists

in

man

alone

as

his

special

property

,

—

not

because

it

is

the

work

of

God

,

which

all

other

creatures

are

likewise

,

but

because

it

is

the

breath

of

God

,

which

this

(

human

soul

)

alone

is

,

which

we

say

is

born

with

the

full

equipment

of

its

proper

faculties

.

Well

,

let

them

meet

us

with

the

example

of

the

trees

:

we

will

accept

their

challenge

,

(

nor

shall

we

find

in

it

any

detriment

to

our

own

argument

;

)

for

it

is

an

undoubted

fact

,

that

whilst

trees

are

yet

but

twigs

and

sprouts

,

and

before

they

even

reach

the

sapling

stage

,

there

is

in

them

their

own

proper

faculty

of

life

,

as

soon

as

they

spring

out

of

their

native

beds

.

But

then

,

as

time

goes

on

,

the

vigour

of

the

tree

slowly

advances

,

as

it

grows

and

hardens

into

its

woody

trunk

,

until

its

mature

age

completes

the

condition

which

nature

destines

for

it

.

Else

what

resources

would

trees

possess

in

due

course

for

the

inoculation

of

grafts

,

and

the

formation

of

leaves

,

and

the

swelling

of

their

buds

,

and

the

graceful

shedding

of

their

blossom

,

and

the

softening

of

their

sap

,

were

there

not

in

them

the

quiet

growth

of

the

full

provision

of

their

nature

,

and

the

distribution

of

this

life

over

all

their

branches

for

the

accomplishment

of

their

maturity

?

Trees

,

therefore

,

have

ability

or

knowledge

;

and

they

derive

it

from

whence

they

also

derive

vitality

—

that

is

,

from

the

one

source

of

vitality

and

knowledge

which

is

peculiar

to

their

nature

,

and

that

from

the

infancy

which

they

,

too

,

begin

with

.

For

I

observe

that

even

the

vine

,

although

yet

tender

and

immature

,

still

understands

its

own

natural

business

,

and

strives

to

cling

to

some

support

,

that

,

leaning

on

it

,

and

lacing

through

it

,

it

may

so

attain

its

growth

.

Indeed

,

without

waiting

for

the

husbandman’s

training

,

without

an

espalier

,

without

a

prop

,

whatever

its

tendrils

catch

,

it

will

fondly

cling

to

,

and

embrace

with

really

greater

tenacity

and

force

by

its

own

inclination

than

by

your

volition

.

It

longs

and

hastens

to

be

secure

.

Take

also

ivy

-

plants

,

never

mind

how

young

:

I

observe

their

attempts

from

the

very

first

to

grasp

objects

above

them

,

and

outrunning

everything

else

,

to

hang

on

to

the

highest

thing

,

preferring

as

they

do

to

spread

over

walls

with

their

leafy

web

and

woof

rather

than

creep

on

the

ground

and

be

trodden

under

by

every

foot

that

likes

to

crush

them

.

On

the

other

hand

,

in

the

case

of

such

trees

as

receive

injury

from

contact

with

a

building

,

how

do

they

hang

off

as

they

grow

and

avoid

what

injures

them

!

You

can

see

that

their

branches

were

naturally

meant

to

take

the

opposite

direction

,

and

can

very

well

understand

the

vital

instincts

of

such

a

tree

from

its

avoidance

of

the

wall

.

It

is

contented

(

if

it

be

only

a

little

shrub

)

with

its

own

insignificant

destiny

,

which

it

has

in

its

foreseeing

instinct

thoroughly

been

aware

of

from

its

infancy

,

only

it

still

fears

even

a

ruined

building

.

On

my

side

,

then

,

why

should

I

not

contend

for

these

wise

and

sagacious

natures

of

trees

?

Let

them

have

vitality

,

as

the

philosophers

permit

it

;

but

let

them

have

knowledge

too

,

although

the

philosophers

disavow

it

.

Even

the

infancy

of

a

log

,

then

,

may

have

an

intellect

(

suitable

to

it

)

:

how

much

more

may

that

of

a

human

being

,

whose

soul

(

which

may

be

compared

with

the

nascent

sprout

of

a

tree

)

has

been

derived

from

Adam

as

its

root

,

and

has

been

propagated

amongst

his

posterity

by

means

of

woman

,

to

whom

it

has

been

entrusted

for

transmission

,

and

thus

has

sprouted

into

life

with

all

its

natural

apparatus

,

both

of

intellect

and

of

sense

!

I

am

much

mistaken

if

the

human

person

,

even

from

his

infancy

,

when

he

saluted

life

with

his

infant

cries

,

does

not

testify

to

his

actual

possession

of

the

faculties

of

sensation

and

intellect

by

the

fact

of

his

birth

,

vindicating

at

one

and

the

same

time

the

use

of

all

his

senses

—

that

of

seeing

by

the

light

,

that

of

hearing

by

sounds

,

that

of

taste

by

liquids

,

that

of

smell

by

the

air

,

that

of

touch

by

the

ground

.

This

earliest

voice

of

infancy

,

then

,

is

the

first

effort

of

the

senses

,

and

the

initial

impulse

of

mental

perceptions

.

There

is

also

the

further

fact

,

that

some

persons

understand

this

plaintive

cry

of

the

infant

to

be

an

augury

of

affliction

in

the

prospect

of

our

tearful

life

,

whereby

from

the

very

moment

of

birth

(

the

soul

)

has

to

be

regarded

as

endued

with

prescience

,

much

more

with

intelligence

.

Accordingly

by

this

intuition

the

babe

knows

his

mother

,

discerns

the

nurse

,

and

even

recognises

the

waiting

-

maid

;

refusing

the

breast

of

another

woman

,

and

the

cradle

that

is

not

his

own

,

and

longing

only

for

the

arms

to

which

he

is

accustomed

.

Now

from

what

source

does

he

acquire

this

discernment

of

novelty

and

custom

,

if

not

from

instinctive

knowledge

?

How

does

it

happen

that

he

is

irritated

and

quieted

,

if

not

by

help

of

his

initial

intellect

?

It

would

be

very

strange

indeed

that

infancy

were

naturally

so

lively

,

if

it

had

not

mental

power

;

and

naturally

so

capable

of

impression

and

affection

,

if

it

had

no

intellect

.

But

(

we

hold

the

contrary

)

:

for

Christ

,

by

“

accepting

praise

out

of

the

mouth

of

babes

and

sucklings

,

”

has

declared

that

neither

childhood

nor

infancy

is

without

sensibility

,

—

the

former

of

which

states

,

when

meeting

Him

with

approving

shouts

,

proved

its

ability

to

offer

Him

testimony

;

while

the

other

,

by

being

slaughtered

,

for

His

sake

of

course

,

knew

what

violence

meant

.

Notes

1
His De Anima, ii. 2, 3.
2
Innixa et innexa.
3
Amabit.
4
Animationem. The possession and use of an “anima.”
5
Intellectuam.
6
Spiritu. The mental instinct, just mentioned.
7
Ps. viii. 2; Matt. xxi. 16.
8
Hebetes.
9
Matt. xxi. 15.
10
Matt. ii. 16–18.