Lumen naturale

Not to be confused with Lumen Naturae.

Lumen naturale (Latin for "natural light") ^[1] is a term derived from ancient light metaphysics for the finite cognitive faculty of man (subjective truth), in contrast to the supernatural, divine light (lumen supranaturale). The lumen naturale "illuminates" only the elementary logical and empirical truths, as man can only attain higher knowledge through revelation.

Cicero was likely the first to use the expression in his Tusculanae disputationes , calling it lumen naturae. ^[2] For Augustine, the Word of God is the actual true light that illuminates the whole person. In the Christian faith, the lumen naturale is given by God. ^[3] In contrast, according to René Descartes, the lumen naturale is an innate property of man to recognize truth intuitively ^[4] and thus reason. ^[5]

References

1. "Lumen naturale – Definition und Synonyme" [Lumen naturale – Definition and Synonyms]. Wörterbuch Deutsch (in German). Retrieved 2020-03-23.
2. Rene Descartes (2007). Die Prinzipien der Philosophie: Lateinisch-Deutsch [The Principles of Philosophy: Latin-German] (in German). Felix Meiner Verlag. p. 639. ISBN   978-3-7873-2041-7.
3. "Über die Fähigkeit menschlicher Erkenntnis bei Thomas von Aquin anhand seiner Schrift Expositio super librum Boethii De trinitate" [On the capacity for human knowledge in Thomas Aquinas based on his writing Expositio super librum Boethii De trinitate] (in German). Retrieved 2020-03-23.
4. Descartes, René. In: Rudolf Eisler: Philosophen-Lexikon (Philosopher's Dictionary). Berlin 1912; zeno.org.
5. Toellner 1984, p. 168.

Sources

• Toellner, Richard (1984). "Zum Begriff der Autorität in der Medizin der Renaissance" [On the Concept of Authority in Renaissance Medicine]. In Schmitz, Rudolf; Keil, Gundolf (eds.). Humanismus und Medizin[Humanism and Medicine]. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: Mitteilungen der Kommission für Humanismusforschung (in German). Vol. 11. Weinheim. pp. 159–179. ISBN   3-527-17011-1.

Further reading

• Huber, Max (1950). Natürliche Gotteserkenntnis[Natural Knowledge of God] (in German). Bern: Paul Haupt.
• Beierwaltes, Werner (1980). "Lumen naturale". In Ritter, Joachim; Gründer, Karlfried (eds.). Historisches Wörterbuch der Philosophie[Historical Dictionary of Philosophy] (in German). Vol. 5. Basel. pp. 547–549.
• "Lumen naturale". Metzler Lexikon der Philosophie, spektrum.de (in German). 2008. Retrieved 2024-04-18.