Distinctiones S- XIII. Signum Speculativum-Signum Practicum

Signoriello´s Lexicon Peripateticum Explained

Speculativum est illud, quod non efficit rem significatam; e.g. oliva respectu pacis. Practicum quod efficit id, quod significat, e.g. boreas respectu frigoris. Ita etiam Sacramenta Novae Legis sunt signa practica gratiae.

[a] speculative [sign] is that which does not produce the thing signified; e.g. olives with respect to peace. [A] practical {sign] that produces what it signifies, e.g. the North wind with respect to the cold. So also the sacraments of the New Law are practical signs of grace.

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This distinction was for some strange reason one of the first I read in this book and one of the reasons I became obsessed with the distinctions in this book. It´s terce and hiding amongst thousands of others that required more thorough explanation, some of which are more difficult to grasp or don’t lend themselves easily to such a broad and insightful application. But truly its distinctions like this that made me love medieval or scholastic philosophy and theology, because the distinctions are useful. They clarify the world we live in, and help us comprehend it. I had spent about a year of my life reading Heidegger and Husserl and the like. And their philosophy, for me at least, clarified nothing, it made everything more convoluted and opaque. Anyway, this distinction actually explains a lot, in the Bible, in nature, even in the life of Christ.

So a speculative sign is basically any normal sort of sign we use. The example given is an olive branch being a sign for peace. Most importantly, words are, in thier normal usage this speculative sort of sign. Car, red, sweet, walking—these are speculative signs. They point to but do not produce or cause what they signify.

Practical signs both point to and produce what the signify. The example of the north wind is curious but it works. The north wind brings cold air, if you feel the north wind blowing, you know cold(er) air or weather is coming as a rule, I know there are exceptions. But its not the best example I think, but really practical signs are everywhere. A flower is a practical sign of life. It is what causes the bees to come and fertilize the plant, which creates new genetic life, fruit. That is interesting to me. If you say “that is sweet” it does not create the taste in your mouth, its just a word, its a speculative sign. In contrast, a stop sign is a practical sign, it causes what it signifies, the action of cars or walkers stopping. So really everything spoken in the imperative is a practical sign, “Do this!“ The words are meant to cause the action they signify.

One of the quick things that came to mind to me was that a blessing is a type of practical sign, and particularly the Bible seems to focus in on the blessing of the Father as important, powerful, creative even. And when you think about it, the words of your Father do have a tremendous weight. They can produce a great strength or weakness. If your Father tells you he is proud of you, that you will succeed and thrive, etc. This is a great strength assuming its earnest and realistic. But if your Father says you are a disgrace, a loser, someone who will never amount to anything, this is an extraordinary weakness. It´s hard to overcome hearing something like this from your father. It’s because his words to us, more than anyone else in our life, are creative. They produce something in us, and are generative of what they signify, be it blessing or curse.

The obvious theological reflection being, Jesus says he is the Word of the Father. That he is Word made flesh. What is clearly meant by this is that he is a practical sort of sign, he is creating what he signifies, God´s Wisdom and Love and Kingdom. But its dangerous to get too theological as one misses the profound point. To know the word of the Father, to know Jesus, to know of His Incarnation, life, death for our sins, resurrection, this should be our greatest strength. So much more than our earthly Father telling us how much and how unending His love for us is, the Word of Our Eternal Father should animate and enliven us. Christians should all possess this grounding strength and confidence in Our Fathers good Word to us, blessing us with this incredible practical sign of His Love. Jesus doesn´t just point to His Father, He is creating and producing the Reign of the Living God in hearts and minds and souls. He is a practical sign!

This distinction is the key to understanding so much of the biblical text. All the covenant signs, rainbows, circumcision, are practical signs. From the very beginning God creates through his word. He doesn't zap the universe into existence. He speaks it forth. He says, “Let there be light.” And there was light. His words produce what they signify. They're practical signs. Much of what God is doing with the Prophets is turning them into practical signs or having them make practical signs. Not always, Hosea marrying a whore seems more like a speculative sign, its pointing out Israel’s whoredom, not causing it. But these cursory biblical references are really just the tip of the iceberg on this theme.

In addition, as it says above, this distinction is also the key to understanding the Catholic sacramental doctrine. Where the sign— “Hoc est corpus meum“— is a practical sign, it produces what it signifies--The Body of Christ. The pejorative saying, hocus pocus, of course is derived from those mistaking these latin words of consecration speedily muttered by priests at Mass. Hocus pocus comes from those who remained incredulous to or ignorant of the magic therein. The magic is the practical signification. Similarly when a priest utters the words of absolution in the confessional. He is making a practical sign, his words, or the words Christ speaks through him, are what cause the forgiveness. They are practical signs of grace. A Priest is someone with the power to make sacramental signs, and sacramental signs are practical signs. The difference in eucharistic doctrine between protestants and Catholics is this very difference between whether these words, ”This is my body," signify the bread in a speculative or practical way. Does it merely point to Christ's Body and Sacrifice for us 2000 years ago, or is it His Body and Sacrifice represented through these signs. It all rests on this distinction. Its not hard to see the God of Jakob’s affinity for using practical signs as covanental signs: A strong argument for the Catholic dogma here.

There is only one sacramental sign that all baptized Christians can give, only one sacramental sign not given by a priest, this is the sacrament of marriage, where the husband and wife give the sign to eachother as the marriage is consummated, as they unite in the marital act. Here they join together as one and this sign is generative of a indessoluble bond. Through this practical sign of unity they become one flesh, and can, through the sign, create wholly new genetic flesh together. Its a wonderfully beautiful and powerfully vital sign.

The purpose of a great deal of human culture and of mating ritual in animals and even the very structure of nature itself is to preserve the integrity of and display the beauty of sex and its life creating signification—to ensure that the spiritual and biological unity effected by the sign of unity would be both be supported, cared for and developed. So called sexual liberation is really the futile attempt to detach this sign of unity from the unity it by nature effects. It's a rebellion contra naturam. By nature, sex signifies and creates the uniting of two creatures into one union, it creates radical dependence, not independence. Herein lies the hollow promise of the slogan. Its flowers trying to declare independence from fruit.

To close, let´s reflect once again on expansive explanatory power of this little distinction, which leaves clues as to the manner in which God pleases to exercise His Sovereignty over the things He has made. Nature and History, God’s creation and self-revelation are crucially ordered by practical signs. Signs that are both instructive and productive. The Sun is a practical sign of light. As is the Son of God, whose face will illumine Heaven. This distinction helps us see these creative signs more clearly. And, in so doing, it helps us also to honor them, make them well when required, and even desire to become practical signs ourselves, signs of God´s love who produce what they signify. Fin.

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Anyone interested in reading me geek out on the idea of the Crown of Thorns as a practical sign can read the following sermon.