Thomas Aquinasty reading

Alright, so here's the thing, to be completely honest, I realize just how difficult the reading by Thomas Aquinas (Thomas Aqui-Nasty) was, so I'm going to do the guys in my group for tomorrow a bit of a favor and arrange the section we were assigned into some more simplistic points. So guys, that's the reading of page 90-94. Here goes...

First off when Aquinas says "...the work of magicians result not only from the influence of heavenly bodies" (90) he means that magic is, essentially what you make it to be. Meaning, the witness who believes that they are seeing a process that they wish to believe is magic, they are giving this process power. Entertaining the idea that what you. Are seeing is magic.

"Now these conversations and apparitions are addressed to those who have free use of their external senses. Therefore these apparitions and speeches cannot be imaginary" (91). This means (and the paragraph before this one) that the reason that magic has it's power, is because observers believe it to be magic.

"...no imaginary forms can lead a person to intellectual knowledge beyond the nature or acquiring faculty of his intellect..." (91). This chunk is my favorite. Really what he means is humans acquire knowledge through the use of knowledge and facts. Without these facts, one cannot learn something. So it is impossible for someone to acquire knowledge by shear chance or "just cuz". Wow. That was a long run around for something so basic, right?

"...movement of its very nature is the result of having a soul: since it is proper to animate things to move themselves. Therefore it is impossible for an inanimate being to be moved by itself, through the power of a heavenly body" (91). Because things do not have a soul, they cannot move on their own. Therefore, phenomenons such as levitation are impossible. Also, things such as idols, that were built by man cannot more or grant "wishes" these idols or shrines were only created because the need for something to worship or prey to was present (92).

""...in the practice of their art they make use of certain significative words in order to produce certain definite effects...have no power except as derived from some intellect; either of the speaker, or of the person to whom they are spoken" (93). The only reason incantations have power is because the person reciting or the person listening believes them to have significance. No words have power. Events are the only things that can lead to a skill. Without these events, there can be no skill.

Later down in 93 to the top of 94, it Aquinas goes on further to say that is magic is generated by the power of thought (a power all men have), then why can't every Tom, Dick and Harry be able to make things happen with will power? Why can't everyone perform magic? Lack of actions cannot be taught to others, so in reality, they cannot be replicated. Ergo, magic is complete bullshit. The top of 93 states (the same thing, but phrased differently) that we cannot learn from things we cannot comprehend.

The idea that praying to an idol because you need a certain outcome will grant only what you believe it to. So when you say 'Heres a lamb because I want to be smarter." That will work based on the idea that you want the outcome of you being smarter (94).

In all reality, this reading may seem frightening but