The Active And The Contemplative Life

The Active and the Contemplative Life A Tract Book Essay By Anthony J. Fejfar, J.D., Esq., Coif © Copyright 2007 by Anthony J. Fejfar

In the Summa Theologica, Part II-II, Question 182, Thomas Aquinas discusses and contrasts the Active Life with the Contemplative Life. Aquinas argues that Practical Reason is ordered toward the Active Life, while Higher Reason is ordered toward the Contemplative Life. Aquinas also argues that the Active Life helps to bring balance to the Contemplative Life. I argue that Level 3, Judgment and Reflection is the Practical Reason that Aquinas refers to. Level 4, Formal Operations, on the other hand is a first move toward a higher type of reason. While Practical Reason tends to be adaptive, formal operations are a type of abstract reason which is in some sense transcendent. The real transcendent Higher Reason, however, if found at Level 8, which is the Logos, Reason, Creative Form level of consciousness. Level 8 Reason integrates Level 7 Higher Love and Level 6 Intuition. Higher

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Reason at Level 8 is not adaptive, but rather is transcendent. Level 8 reasoning focuses on Higher Values and transcendent abstraction. The Insights found at Level 8 transcend those insights found at levels 3 and 4. Without Level 8, Reason, for example, I doubt that we would know anything about Euclidean Geometry or Newtownian Calculus, both very abstract systems. Finally, it should be noted that I argue that the Highest Level of Understanding is the Wisdom found at Level 11 of consciousness. Level 11 Wisdom is alinear, arational, fractal, knowledge which involves a higher degree of complexity than Logos Reason. Level 11 Wisdom brings one “back to earth” in a different way.

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