The Nature and Status of the Soul

The soul is the primary element of human nature that governs people’s actions, attitudes, and beliefs. Saint Bonaventure emphasized the innate abilities of the soul to advance the reader on their path of mystic reflection (Löwe, 2021, p.11). The saint from the 13th century held that humanity’s three best qualities are memory, intelligence, and will (Milne, 2021, p. 27). He argued that these three forces naturally reflect the Holy Trinity.

Investigating the Soul

The nature of the soul reflects God’s intention from the beginning to have humans walk the road of righteousness. According to Bonaventure, the soul is a full spirit that possesses memory, cognition, and will (Löwe, 2021, p. 13). The first three stages of human exploration are purgation, aptness, and light (Milne, 2021, p. 25). According to St. Bonaventure, the primary activities of the three stages include ceremonial purification, confessing, leading, validating, enlightening, regulating, integrating, precision, receiving, disclosing, and anointing (Milne, 2021, p. 27). These components were developed in response to men’s yearning to progress and stay in touch with divinity.

Roles of the Agent Intellect and Possible Intellect

Bonaventure interprets the roles of the agent intellect and the possible intellect by evaluating their purpose in human life. According to Bonaventure, the agent intellect is a divine entity that is responsible for abstracting universal concepts from the sensory data that is presented to the mind (Milne, 2021, p.23). In this case, the agent intellect acts as a sort of intermediary between the senses and the mind. In addition, Bonaventure believed that the possible intellect is the part of the human mind that is capable of receiving the abstract concepts that are produced by the agent intellect (Milne, 2021, p.33). In this way, the possible intellect serves as a clean slate, enabling the human mind to capture and understand new concepts without bias.

Conclusion

Saint Bonaventure uses the soul as the conceptual framework for his interpretation, highlighting the nature of the soul concerning its search for fullness. In essence, a man’s soul connects with divinity in a specific way throughout his life. The volition, intellect, and emotions of a person are carried by the soul influencing human behavior. In conclusion, a man’s life revolves around the pursuit of completeness, which is realized through the soul’s divine union with its creator.

References

Löwe, C. L. (2021). Bonaventure on the soul and its powers, Vivarium, 59(1-2), 10-32. Web.

Milne, J. (2021). Saint Bonaventure and the divine order of creation. Medieval Mystical Theology, 30(1), 17-36. Web.

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StudyCorgi. 2023. "The Nature and Status of the Soul." December 9, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/the-nature-and-status-of-the-soul/.

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