BASA

40 J. Hopkins intelligere will corne into English better as « to know », « to judge », « to comprehend », « to discern », or « to think » than as « to understand » . In Proslogion 2 Anselm means by intelligere rem esse to judge that the abject exists. And at S 1, 131: 8 the expression nec actu nec intellectu is best rendered as « neither actually nor conceivably ». 32 Failure to recognize the « flexibility » of Anselm's terminology will lead to confused and confusing translations. And there will be danger not only of translating the same Latin word by the same English word where this should not be done, 33 but also of translating two different Latin words by two different English words, where only one word is required. 34 4. Thinking secundum rem and thinking secundum vocem. In Proslogion 4 Anselm distinguishes between two different ways of thinking an abject: « In one sense an abject is thought when the word signifying it is thought, and in another when what the abject is is understood ». 35 Thus, in the first sense but not at all in the second, God can be thought not to exist. Indeed, no one who understands what God is can think that God does not exist, even though be says these words [ viz., « God does not exist »] in his heart either meaninglessly or else bizzarely. For God is that than which a greater cannot be thought. Anyone who comprehends (bene intelligit) this, surely understands (intelligit) that God so exists that He cannot even conceivably not exist. Therefore, anyone who understands that this is the manner in which God exists cannot think that He does not exist. Now, Anselm never elucidates what, precisely, is involved in thinking an abject by merely thinking the word which signifies it. Even at the end of Reply to Gaunilo 4 all he does is refer again 32 Note also S 1, 131 : 10; 114:20-21. Cf. S 1, 104 :3-4. 33 E.g., translating « essentia » always as «essence ». 34 E.g., translating « existere » as « to exist » and « subsistere » as « to subsist », thereby implying that Anselm was making a distinction between existing and subsisting. 35 « Aliter enim cogitatur res cum vox eam significans cogitatur, aliter cum id ipsum quod res est intelligitur » (S 1, 103: 18-19 ).