A Treatise on the Foundations of Thought: Contemplations on the Divine Order of the Soul and Life

A Treatise on the Foundations of Thought: Contemplations on the Divine Order of the Soul and Life

In this humble inquiry, wherein I have pondered the subtle mechanisms of the human intellect and the grand architecture of existence, I turn to illuminate the path whereby the soul may ascend from shadows to light. As the Almighty hath fashioned man in His image (Genesis 1:27, Greek: Καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατ’ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ – “And God made man according to the image of God”), so the mind, though veiled by sin, seeketh restoration through divine wisdom. Thy eternal life and temporal felicity are precious to me, for as the Apostle proclaimeth, “Let every man abide in the calling wherein he was called” (1 Corinthians 7:20, Greek: ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ κλήσει ᾗ ἐκλήθη ἐν ταύτῃ μενέτω – “Let each man abide in the calling wherein he was called”).

Yet in a world beset by confusion, where the ignorant lead the blind into the ditch (Matthew 15:14), one must seek a wisdom rooted in the eternal truths of Scripture and the Church. Happiness in thought ariseth not from fleeting speculations but from union with the Creator, as St. Augustine (†430) confesseth: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” To guide thy brethren toward this rest, inscribe their name upon this volume, and thine own beneath, as a covenant of charity. Present it unto them with fervent exhortation to study its precepts, for as Proverbs counseleth, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7, Greek: Ἀρχὴ σοφίας κτῆσαι σοφίαν, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ κτήσει σου κτῆσαι σύνεσιν – “The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom, and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding”).

Should obscurities cloud these terms, consult the Sacred Scriptures or the glosses of the Fathers, lest discord arise from ignorance, as in the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Thus, by disseminating this light, thou fortifiest not only thine own intellect but extendest the kingdom of truth, as Christ commandeth: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19, Greek: Πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη – “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations”).

Why This Treatise is Bestowed Upon Thee

Thy salvation and earthly wisdom are dear to me, for as the Law enjoineth, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39, Greek: Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν – “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”). True felicity in thought, that serene contemplation of divine mysteries, eludeth those ensnared in error, for “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10, Greek: Ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος Κυρίου – “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord”).

In a society rife with falsehoods, where the wicked pervert knowledge like the sophists of old, diligence demandeth vigilance against deception. Observe how the soul, that immaterial spark divine (as St. Thomas Aquinas, drawing from Aristotle and the Fathers, affirmeth), faltereth when beset by ignorance or vice. Such ills not only dull the intellect but estrange the heart from God, turning contemplation to vanity. Yet thou art called to edify thy fellows, as light shineth in darkness (John 1:5, Greek: Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει – “And the light shineth in the darkness”).

By embodying wisdom in thy thoughts, thou upliftest their paths, and thine own, toward the beatific vision where “we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2, Greek: ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθὼς ἐστιν – “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”).

Chapter One: The Vital Statistics of True Wisdom

What is wisdom? ’Tis the knowledge of things divine and human, ordered to the glory of God. St. Augustine (†430) defineth it as “the knowledge of eternal things,” whilst St. Basil (†379) calleth it the art of living well. ’Tis no mere accumulation of facts, but the illumination of the intellect by grace.

Wisdom improveth health of soul, sharpens understanding, elevateth conduct, refines skill, and adorneth appearance. ’Tis a precise science, fitted for an age of inquiry, yet rooted in revelation. Employed by a confessor or teacher upon souls, individually or in assembly, it commandeth exercises that beget virtue, as the Council of Ancyra (314) prescribed disciplines for the penitent.

Through such, one attaineth serenity in toil, harmony in relations, and union with the divine, where “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle” (James 3:17, Greek: ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής – “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle”).

Say “next” to continue with Chapter Two.