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That the soul is simple
The arguments that show the soul is not a body also show that it is simple, since it has no parts and cannot be divided.
The same arguments, then, that show the soul to be without body also show, above all, that it is simple. For if it is not a body, and every body is composite, and what is composite consists of parts, then the soul will not consist of many parts either. And since it is incorporeal, it will be simple, because it is not composite and cannot be cut into parts.
Latin Ex quibus ergo Anima corporis expers ostenditur, ex iis potissimum etiam simplex demonstratur. Nam si corpus non est, et omne corpus compositum est; compositum autem ex partibus constet, nec plurium quidem partium erit. Cum autem incorporea sit, simplex erit: quoniam non est composita, neque in partes secabilis.
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About this text The Disputatio de Anima ad Tatianum stands under Gregory Thaumaturgus's name in the third-century Neocaesarean tradition; later Latin presentation and disputed authenticity are disclosed.
Gregory Thaumaturgus, On the Soul, to Tatian: a fresh English translation of the whole short treatise. Arguing from reason alone, without Scripture proofs, it shows that the soul is known by its effects, exists, is a substance, is not a body, is simple, is immortal and shares in reason. Scholars dispute whether Gregory wrote it.
Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213–c. 270) wrote this treatise to his friend Tatian. Gregory was bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus and had studied with Origen in Caesarea in Palestine. Tatian asked him to send a discourse and disputation on the soul, and Gregory complied promptly, trusting in Tatian's goodwill toward him.
Tatian did not need the work for his own assurance, since he was already instructed in the divine Scriptures and traditions. He wanted it for confuting people who refuse to believe the Scriptures and who use clever speech to circumvent and deceive those unaccustomed to such debate. Gregory therefore agreed to write using only human reasoning and common notions, not scriptural testimonies.
The treatise follows the customary order of inquiry for such subjects. Gregory first proposes the criterion by which the soul can be grasped according to nature, then shows by what arguments its existence is demonstrated. He examines whether the soul is substance or accident, body or incorporeal, simple or composite, mortal or immortal, and finally whether it is rational. For proofs he uses only common notions by which assent is usually obtained for evident things, choosing the reasonings most effective for demonstrating each point. He then carries out this plan: the soul is known from what it does; it exists, since it moves the body and gives it life; it is a substance, not a body; it is simple; it is immortal; and it is rational.
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Translated from Opera omnia, Greek and Latin (Paris: Sonnius, Morel and Cramoisy, 1622), page images Also checked Archive DjVu machine-read text Translated from Latin preface Where the prints differ
Preface — Long-s and column joins expanded from the Latin face; sense checked against the inquiry program that follows.We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Latin on any section, or the Latin source link, to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.
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