Page 60 - Pure Life 30
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The Nature of Religious Language… M. Mousavi Karimi and H. Tehrani Haeri / (59
attributes are not entirely be known or demonstrated
equivocal nor are they about God at all.
entirely univocal; they Now names are thus
are used analogously. used in two ways:
This is St. Thomas Aquinas’s either according as many
approach. He argues that, things are proportionate
Univocal predication is to one, or according as
impossible between God one thing is proportionate
and creatures. The reason to another; And in this
for this is that when way some things are said
any term expressing of God and creatures
perfection is applied to analogically.
a creature, it signifies
that perfection distinct Now this mode of
in idea from other community of idea is a
perfections; whereas when mean between pure
we apply it to God, we equivocation and simple
do not mean to signify univocation. For in
anything distinct from analogies, a term which
His essence, or power, is thus used in a
or existence… Neither… multiple sense signifies
are names applied to various proportions to
God and creatures in a some one thing.
purely equivocal sense; (Aquinas, 1947: 85-86)
Because if that were For example, “good” is applied
so, it follows that from to God and creatures neither
creatures nothing could identical nor totally different;
