Article

Title: reflect over the question.

1. What is its place in the quaestio? Its order in it and why it is in that place.

2. Clarify it sense: the Subject and Predicate and their contrast.

3. Reduce it to one of the 4 Aristotelian questions.

a) An sit (existence). b) Quid sit.(definition), v.gr. Quid sit virtus.

c) Quia est, over the fact of P to S, v.gr. by a fact given by revelation

d) Propter quid est: reason why P appertains to S, v.gr. by the fact given by revelation every form implies an appetite.

N.B. Every question in the summa can regard of these four.

Contraries

1. Pick out the middle term which negates the conjunction.

2. Find out where is the force of the argument.

Corpus

1. Frequently says his positio at the beginning.

2. Explain how positio serves the question.

3. Explain use of patristic or biblical texts as well as others: They can be used as premisses of faith or examples (something extraneous to problem but aids understanding) or even illustrations (particular cases to the given principles).

4. Put into evidence the middle terms of the argumentation

5. What is the value of the conclusion? What kind is it: Demonstrative, a theological convenience, or an analysis of the definition.

Ad Contraria

1. What are the principles of the solution

2. What does he resolve.

3. What play does the conclusion of the corpus have on the solution of the contraries? What is the novelty of the conclusion in the solution. (Sometimes the solution gives rise to the next question.)

[Ex lectionibus Alain Contat, PH.D.]