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CATHOLICENCYCLOPEDIA:TheAbsolute

TheAbsolute
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Atermemployedinmodernphilosophywithvariousmeanings,butappliedgenerally
speakingtotheSupremeBeing.Itsignifies(1)thatwhichiscompleteandperfect(2)that
whichexistsbyitsownnatureandisconsequentlyindependentofeverythingelse(3)that
whichisrelatedtonootherbeing(4)thesumofallbeing,actualandpotential(Hegel).
InthefirstandthesecondofthesesignificationstheAbsoluteisanameforGodwhich
Christianphilosophymayreadilyaccept.ThoughthetermwasnotcurrentintheMiddle
Ages,equivalentexpressionswereusedbytheScholasticwritersinspeaking,e.g.ofGod
asPureActuality(ActusPurus),asuncausedBeing,orascontainingpreeminentlyevery
perfection.St.Thomas,inparticular,emphasizestheabsolutenessofGodby,showingthat
hecannotbeclassedunderanygenusorspecies,andthatHisessenceisidenticalwithHis
existence.Aquinasalsoanticipatesthedifficultieswhicharisefromtheuseoftheterm
Absoluteinthesenseofunrelatedbeing,andwhicharebroughtoutquiteclearlyin
moderndiscussions,notablyinthatbetweenMill,ascriticofSirWilliamHamilton's
philosophy,andManselasitsdefender.ItwasurgedthattheAbsolutecouldnot
consistentlybethoughtoforspokenofasFirstCause,forthereasonthatcausation
impliesrelation,andtheAbsoluteisoutsideofallrelationitcannot,therefore,be
conceivedasproducingeffects.St.Thomas,however,offeredasolution.Heholdsthat
Godandcreatedthingsarerelated,butthattherelationisrealintheeffectsonly.It
impliesnoconditioningormodificationoftheDivineBeingitisinitsapplicationto,God
merelyconceptual.ThefashionofourthoughtobligesustoconceiveGodasonetermofa
relation,butnottoinferthattherelationaffectsHimasitaffectsthecreatedthingwhich
istheotherterm.Thisdistinction,moreover,isbasedonexperience.Theprocessof
knowledgeinvolvesarelationbetweentheknownobjectand,theknowingsubject,butthe
characteroftherelationisnotthesameinbothterms.Intheminditisrealbecause
perceptionandthoughtimplytheexerciseofmentalfaculties,andconsequentlya
modificationoftheminditself.Nosuchmodification,however,reachestheobjectthisis
thesamewhetherweperceiveitornot.
Nowitisjustherethatamoreseriousdifficultyarises.ItisclaimedthattheAbsolutecan
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neitherbeknownnorconceived."Tothinkistocondition"andastheAbsoluteisbyits
verynatureunconditioned,noeffortofthoughtcanreachit.TosaythatGodisthe
AbsoluteisequivalenttosayingthatHeisunknowable.Thisview,expressedby
HamiltonandMansel,andendorsedbySpencerinhis"FirstPrinciples",affordsan
apparentlystrongsupporttoAgnosticism,whileitassailsboththereasonablenessandthe
possibilityofreligion.ItisonlyapartialreplytostatethatGod,thoughincomprehensible,
isneverthelessknowableaccordingtothemannerandcapacityofourintelligence.The
AgnosticcontendsthatGod,preciselybecauseHeistheAbsolute,isbeyondtherangeof
anyknowledgewhateveronourpart.Agnosticism,inotherwords,insiststhatwemust
believeintheexistenceofanabsoluteandinfiniteBeingandatthesametimewarnsus
thatwecanhavenoideaofthatBeing.Ourbeliefmustexpressitselfintermsthatare
meaningless.Toavoidthisconclusiononemayrejectaltogetheratermoutofwhichall
significancehasevaporatedor(andthisseemsawisercourse)onemayretracethe
genesisofthetermandholdfasttotheitemsofknowledge,howeverimperfectand
howeverinneedofcriticism,whichthatgenesisinvolves.InprovingtheexistenceofGod
asFirstCause,orasAbsoluteBeing,wetakeasourstartingpointfactsthatareknowable
andknown.Sofaras,inreasoninguponthesefacts,weareledbeyondthemtothe
conceptofanAbsolute,someremnantoftheknowablenesswhichfactspresentmustbe
foundinthatwhichistheultimateexplanationofthefacts.If,asSpenceraffirms,"every
oneoftheargumentsbywhichtherelativityofourknowledgeisdemonstrateddistinctly
postulatesthepositiveexistenceofsomethingbeyondtherelative",itfollowsthatby
gettingclearlybeforeourthoughtthemeaningofthoseargumentsandtheirforcefor
distinctlypostulatingwemustobtainsomeknowledgeoftheBeingwhoseexistenceis
thusestablished.Spencer,indeed,doesnotrealizethefullimportofthewords"positive
existence","ultimatereality",and"incomprehensiblepower",whichheusessofreely.
OtherwisehecouldnotconsistentlydeclarethattheBeingtowhichthesevarious
predicatesapplyisunknowable.Itisinfactremarkablethatsomuchknowledgeofthe
AbsoluteisdisplayedintheattempttoprovethattheAbsolutecannotbeknown.Careful
analysisofaconceptlikethatofFirstCausecertainlyshowsthatitcontainsawealthof
meaningwhichforbidsitsidentificationwiththeUnknowable,evensupposingthatthe
positiveexistenceoftheUnknowablecouldbelogicallydemonstrated.Suchananalysisis
furnishedbySt.ThomasandbyotherrepresentativesofChristianphilosophy.The
methodwhichSt.Thomasformulated,andwhichhissuccessorsadopted,keepssteadilyin
viewtherequirementsofcriticalthinking,andespeciallythedangerofapplyingtheforms
ofourhumanknowledge,withoutduerefinement,totheDivineBeing.Thewarning
againstouranthropomorphictendencywasclearlygivenbeforetheAbsolutehadtakenits
actualplaceinphilosophicspeculation,orhadyieldedthatplacetotheUnknowable.
Whilethiswarningisalwaysneedful,especiallyintheinterestofreligion,nothingcanbe
gainedbytheattempttoformaconceptofGodwhichoffersamerenegationtothought
andtoworship.ItisofcourseequallyfutiletoproposeanunknowableAbsoluteasthe
basisofreconciliationbetweenreligionandscience.ThefailureofSpencer'sphilosophy
inthisrespectisthemoredisastrousbecause,whileitallowsfullscopetosciencein
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investigatingthemanifestationsoftheAbsolute,itsetsasidetheclaimofreligiontolearn
anythingofthepowerwhichisthusmanifested.(SeeAGNOSTICISM,ASEITY,
ANALOGY,GOD,KNOWLEDGE,THEOLOGY.ForHegel'sconceptionofthe
Absolute,seeHEGELIANISM,IDEALISM,PANTHEISM.)

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Sources
SCHUMACHER,TheKnowablenessofGod(NotreDame,Indiana,1905),containsgood
bibliographyST.THOMAS,Summa,I,Q.xiiiContraGentes,II,12,13HAMILTON,
Discussions(NewYork,1860)MILL,AnExaminationofSirW.Hamilton'sPhilosophy
(Boston,1865)MANSEL,ThePhilosophyoftheConditioned(London,1866)CAIRD,
AnIntroductiontothePhilosophyofReligion(Glasgow,1901)ROYCE,TheWorldand
theIndividual(NewYork,1900)FLINT,Agnosticism(NewYork,1903).

Aboutthispage
APAcitation.Pace,E.(1907).TheAbsolute.InTheCatholicEncyclopedia.NewYork:
RobertAppletonCompany.RetrievedJune6,2015fromNewAdvent:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01060c.htm
MLAcitation.Pace,Edward."TheAbsolute."TheCatholicEncyclopedia.Vol.1.New
York:RobertAppletonCompany,1907.6Jun.2015
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01060c.htm>.
Ecclesiasticalapprobation.NihilObstat.March1,1907.RemyLafort,S.T.D.,Censor.
Imprimatur.+JohnCardinalFarley,ArchbishopofNewYork.
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