Article 9 — Whether plants, brute animals, and minerals will remain after the end of the world

The ninth point of inquiry is whether plants, brute animals, and minerals will remain after the end of the world. (Parallel texts: SCG IV.97; In IV Sent. 43.1.4; 43.2.4; 48.2.5; 50.2.3, qa. 2.)

Obj. 1: And it seems they will. For it is written: I have learnt that all the works which God has made continue into eternity (Eccl 3:14). Now minerals, plants, and brute animals are the works of God. Therefore, they will remain into eternity.

Obj. 2: It might be said that these words refer to those of God’s works that in some way have an order to incorruption; for instance, the elements, though corruptible in part, are incorruptible as a whole.

On the contrary, just as the elements are incorruptible as a whole while corruptible in part, so the things mentioned are incorruptible according to species even though they are corrupted as regards the individuals. Therefore, it would seem that those things also remain into eternity.

Obj. 3: It is impossible that the intention of nature be frustrated, since nature’s intention comes from the fact that nature is directed to its end by God. Now, by generation and corruption, nature intends to preserve the perpetuity of a species. Therefore, unless these things be preserved in their species, nature’s intention will be frustrated, and this is impossible, as stated.

Obj. 4: The adornment of the universe will pertain to the glory of the blessed, for which reason holy men say that, for the greater glory of the blessed, the elements of the world will be reformed to a better state. Now, plants, minerals, and dumb animals pertain to the adornment of the universe. Therefore, they will not be utterly destroyed in the final consummation of the blessed.

Obj. 5: It is written: the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made (Rom 1:20), and among these things may be reckoned plants and animals. Now, in that state of perfect beatitude, it is necessary for man to know the invisible things of God. Therefore, it is unfitting that those works of God be taken out from the middle of it.

Obj. 6: It is written: on both sides of the river was the tree . . . bearing twelve fruits (Rev 22:2). Since, then, the text refers to the final consummation of the beatitude of the saints, it would seem that in that state the plants will remain.

Obj. 7: From the divine existence there is present in all beings a desire to exist forever, insofar as they become like the first Being, which is everlasting. Now, that which is present in things through their likeness to the divine existence will not be taken from them in the final consummation. Therefore, plants and animals will remain forever, at least in their species.

Obj. 8: In that final state of the consummation of things, things will not be deprived of that which pertains to their perfection. Now, the work of adornment was a certain consummation of creation. Therefore, since animals belong to the work of adornment, it seems that they will not cease to exist in that final state of the world.

Obj. 9: Animals and plants no less than the elements are of use to man in his state as wayfarer. Now, the elements will remain. Therefore, animals and plants will also, and consequently, they will not cease to exist.

Obj. 10: The more a thing participates in a property of the first everlasting being, namely, God, the more it seems it is everlasting. Now, plants and animals participate more in the properties of God than do the elements, inasmuch as the elements are only existing things whereas plants also live, and animals, in addition to this, know. Therefore, animals and plants, more than the elements, should last forever.

Obj. 11: As Dionysius says, it is an effect of divine wisdom that the lower nature at its highest point is joined with the lowest point of the higher nature. (Pseudo-Dionysius, The Divine Names 7 (PG 3:865–74).) Now, this will not be true if animals and plants cease to exist, because the elements in no way attain human perfection, which certain animals in a certain way do, and plants come near to animals, and minerals, which are immediately above the elements, come near to the plants. Therefore, at the end of the world, seeing that nothing should be removed that pertains to the manifestation of divine wisdom, it seems that animals and plants should not cease to exist.

Obj. 12: If, when the world was created, animals and plants had not been produced, the world would not have been perfect. But the world will be more perfect in the end than at the beginning. Therefore, it seems that all animals and plants will remain.

Obj. 13: Certain minerals and certain dumb animals are appointed for the punishment of the damned, for instance: fire, brimstone, and storms of wind shall be the portion of their cup (Ps 10:7), and: their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched (Isa 66:24). Now, the punishment of the damned will be everlasting. Therefore, it seems animals and minerals will remain into eternity.

Obj. 14: The elements contain the seedlike principles of mixed bodies, animals, and plants, according to Augustine. (Augustine, On the Trinity 3.8–9 (PL 42:875–79).) Now, these principles would be to no purpose if these things did not arise from them. Since, then, at the consummation of the world, the elements will remain, and consequently, the seedlike principles they contain, and seeing that none of God’s works are frustrated, it seems that animals and plants will remain at the renewal of the world.

Obj. 15: The final cleansing of the world will be by the action of fire. But some minerals are of such strong composition that they are not consumed by fire, as is clear with gold. Therefore, it seems that these at least will remain after that fire.

Obj. 16: The universal exists always, yet it does not exist save in individuals. Therefore, it seems that the individuals of every universal will always exist; consequently, dumb animals, plants, and minerals will always exist.

On the contrary (1), Origen says: we must not think that animals, whether tame or wild, or trees or rocks will reach that final state. (Origen, On First Principles 3.6, para. 2.)

Furthermore (2), animals and plants are ordered to man’s animal life; hence, it is written: even as the green herbs have I delivered all things for your meat (Gen 9:3). But man’s animal life will come to an end. Therefore, animals and plants will also cease to exist.

I answer that, in that renewal of the world, no mixed body will remain except the human body. In support of this view, we must proceed in the order that the Philosopher teaches, namely, by considering first the final cause, then the material and formal principles, and the moving causes. (Aristotle, Physics 2.7, 198a22–b9.)

Now, the end of mineral bodies, plants, and animals can be considered in two ways.

One is, of course, the completion of the universe, to which all the parts of the universe are ordered as to their end; yet the aforesaid things are not ordered to this end as being through themselves and essentially of the universe’s perfection, since they contain nothing that is not found in the principal parts of the world (which are the heavenly bodies and the elements) as in their active and material principles. Consequently, the things in question are certain particular effects of the universal causes that are essential parts of the universe; and therefore, they belong to the perfection of the universe to the degree that they come forth from their causes, and this occurs through movement. Therefore, they pertain to the perfection of the universe not simply speaking, but to the perfection of the universe as existing under motion. Therefore, when the movement in the universe ceases, these things must cease to exist.

Now, the other end is man; for, as the Philosopher says in his Politics, things that are imperfect in nature are ordered to those that are perfect as to their end; this is why he says in the same place that, since the animals have an imperfect life as compared with human life, which is perfect simply speaking, and a plant’s life as compared with an animal’s, it follows that the plants are for the sake of the animals, being prepared by nature to be the latter’s food, and animals are for the sake of man, to whom they are necessary as food and for other purposes. (Aristotle, Politics 1.6, 1256b7–25.) Now, this necessity lasts as long as man’s animal life endures. But this life will be taken away in that final renewal of things because the body will rise not as animal but as spiritual (1 Cor 15:44); therefore, animals and plants will also cease to exist then.

Also, the matter and form of the aforesaid things have an aptitude for this same thing. For because they are composed of contraries, they contain within themselves an active principle of corruption. Therefore, if they were prevented from corrupting by an external principle only, this would be in a certain manner violent and inconsistent with perpetuity, since things that are violent cannot exist always, according to the Philosopher in On the Heavens. (Aristotle, On the Heavens 1.4, 269a9–17, b2–12.) Moreover, they do not have an internal principle that can preserve them from corruption, because their forms are corruptible by their nature, insofar as they are not self-subsistent but have a being dependent on matter. Consequently, they cannot remain forever numerically the same, nor specifically the same, when generation and corruption cease.

The same conclusion is discovered from the consideration of the moving cause. For in plants and animals, being is a certain living, and in corporeal things this cannot exist without movement. Therefore, animals die at the cessation of the motion of the heart, and plants when they lack nourishment. Now, these things have no moving principle that is not dependent on the first mobile, since the very souls of animals and plants are wholly subject to the impressions of the heavenly bodies. Therefore, when the heavenly movement ceases it will be impossible for them to retain movement or life. It is evident in this way that, at the renewal of the world, the aforesaid things will be unable to remain.

Reply Obj. 1: All God’s works continue into eternity either in themselves or in their causes; for in this way, both animals and plants will remain while the heavenly bodies and the elements remain.

Reply Obj. 2: A perpetuity that is according to species and not according to number occurs through generation, which will not exist when the heavens cease to be in motion.

Reply Obj. 3: Nature’s intention is for conserving the perpetuity in the species as long as the heavenly movement continues, by which that perpetuity is assured.

Reply Obj. 4: The things in question conduce to the adornment of the universe as regards the state of the changeability of the world and man’s animal life, and not otherwise, as stated above.

Reply Obj. 5: In that beatitude, the saints will not need to see the invisible things of God in creatures, as they do in the present state, to which the Apostle refers; rather, then they will see the invisible things of God through their very selves.

Reply Obj. 6: The tree of life in the words quoted is being taken for Christ or Wisdom, of whom it is written she is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her (Prov 3:18).

Reply Obj. 7: The desire to exist forever is in created things by reason of their likeness to God; yet it is in each one according to its own mode.

Reply Obj. 8: The work of creation by which the earth was adorned with animals and plants was accomplished in reference to the first consummation of the world, which is viewed according to the state of the world’s changeability in its order to the completion of the number of the elect; that work is not, however, for the consummation of the world simply speaking, as was said.

Reply Obj. 9: The elements are said to be rewarded not in themselves, because in themselves they merit nothing, but because men will be rewarded in them, inasmuch as their brightness will conduce to the glory of the elect. But as to plants and animals, they will be of no use to man, like the elements, which will be, as it were, the place of their glory; therefore, the comparison fails.

Reply Obj. 10: Although plants and animals are better than the elements in respect of life and knowledge, nevertheless, in respect of simplicity, which conduces to incorruptibility, the elements are more like God.

Reply Obj. 11: In man himself, a certain continuity of natures will become apparent, inasmuch as in him the nature of a mixed body is gathered with the nature of plants and animals.

Reply Obj. 12: The perfection of the created world was not the same as the perfection of the consummated world, as already stated; therefore, that which belonged to its first perfection need not belong to its second perfection.

Reply Obj. 13: The worm that is mentioned as part of the punishment of the wicked is not to be taken in a bodily way, but rather spiritually, and according to Augustine, the worm signifies the remorse of their conscience. (Augustine, City of God 21.9 (PL 41:723–24).) Other like expressions, if there be any, should be interpreted in the same way.

Reply Obj. 14: The seedlike principles in the elements do not suffice to produce an effect without the aid of the heavenly movement; therefore, when the heavens cease to be in motion, it does not follow that there will still be animals and plants, nor does it follow that these seedlike principles would be useless, since they belong to the perfection of the elements themselves.

Reply Obj. 15: Although there are certain things that are not consumed by fire in a brief period, still, as Galen (The Greek physician, Galen (Claudius Galenus) of Pergamus (ca. 129–201 AD).) says, there is nothing that fire will not consume in time, if it remain long enough in the fire; and yet, the fire of that world-conflagration will be much more fierce than the fire to which we are used. Besides, the action of the fire will not be the sole cause of the destruction of mixed bodies, since there will also be the cessation of the heavenly movement.

Reply Obj. 16: There are three ways of considering the universal; and in each manner of consideration, it is in a certain way true that the universal exists always.

For we may consider the universal nature in one way insofar as it abstracts from any existence whatsoever; and thus, it is true that the universal exists always, but more by removal of the cause determining it to a definite time than by assigning a cause of its perpetuity; for it does not belong to the account of a universal nature to exist at one time more than at another. In this way also, prime matter is said to be one.

Second, we may consider it according to the existence that it has in individuals; and thus, it is also true that it exists always, since it exists whenever its individual exists. In the same way, it is also said to be everywhere, because it is wherever its individual exists, even though there are many places where its individuals do not exist; whence neither is the universal there.

Third, it can be considered according to the existence that it has in the intellect; and thus, it is also true that the universal exists always, especially in the divine intellect.