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- Wyvern
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- Registered: 3/15/2018
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Thomistic conception of demons: how can they interact with humans?
After reading up quite a bit on the Thomistic view on angels (fallen or other), there is one thing which I don't quite understand, namely, how exactly they interact with a human.
According to Dr. Feser's post ("Cartesian Angelism") and numerous other sources on Thomas' philosophy, angels (and thus fallen angels) are forms without matter, I.E. pure intellects which do not have senses and do not employ reason and observation to arrive at knowledge. It is also Thomas' view, expressed elsewhere (of demons), that they also are unable to "read your thoughts", so to speak. I am already rather acquainted with Thomistic ideas, having read both Thomas' works and secondary sources such as Feser's books. The arguments supporting both assertions seem to make sense.
However, there is a problem. Or seems to be.
If demons do not have senses, and are thus unable to observe your actions, but are also unable to "read" your thoughts, how can they know anything at all about you? How also would it be possible for a demon to tempt you, unless its immaterial form were able to somehow interact with yours (such as implanting thoughts, perhaps)? How would any of this work within a Thomistic framework?
This seems to pose a sort of "interaction problem" of its own, similar, but not identical, to the one posed by Cartesian mind-body dualism.
Last edited by Wyvern (3/15/2018 9:20 pm)
- seigneur
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Re: Thomistic conception of demons: how can they interact with humans?
Wyvern wrote:
If demons do not have senses, and are thus unable to observe your actions, but are also unable to "read" your thoughts, how can they know anything at all about you? How also would it be possible for a demon to tempt you, unless its immaterial form were able to somehow interact with yours (such as implanting thoughts, perhaps)? How would any of this work within a Thomistic framework?
This seems to pose a sort of "interaction problem" of its own, similar, but not identical, to the one posed by Cartesian mind-body dualism.
Sounds like you are supposing that demons should look around and reason, "Oh, there's one with bad thoughts. Let's go and do bad stuff." I don't know how Thomists in particular think demons operate, but here's my take.
Demons always do their thing, just like angels - always their own thing, never anything else. Whatever it is demons and angels are doing, it has an effect on humans with the appropriately receptive state of mind. Demons can (and will) involve themselves with bad thoughts. Not by "Oh, there's one with bad thoughts..." but just by doing their own thing, and when a viciously inclined human is around, the human will be affected.
Demons are not seeking out people with bad thoughts. They involve themselves with bad thoughts whenever such happen to be around. If none such happen to be around, demons will still continue to be demons, they are just not affecting anyone for the time being.
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