Acquisition Quote by Thomas Aquinas
“Reasoning is compared to understanding as movement is to rest, or acquisition to possession… Since movement always proceeds from something immovable, and ends in something at rest, hence it is that human reasoning, in the order of inquiry and discovery, proceeds from certain things absolutely understood--namely, the first principles; and, again, in the order of judgment, returns by analysis to first principles, in the light of which it examines what it has found. Now it is clear that rest and movement are not to be referred to different powers, but to one and the same.”
About This Quote
Source Summa Theologica, Part I, Question 1, Article 1, 13th century
Reasoning moves from known fundamentals to new insights, then returns to those fundamentals for validation, showing reasoning and rest are aspects of the same process.
In simple terms: Reasoning starts and ends with basic truths.
Key Takeaway
Ground your thinking in first principles.
Themes
philosophy
logic
inquiry
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- problem solving
- strategic planning
Key Concepts
first principles
analysis
dialectic
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you identify your own first principles?
- What role does reflection play after discovery?
A Different Perspective
Rest and movement are not separate powers but linked phases.
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