. Now it was said above (A. 1), that as long as it is
united to the body the soul understands by turning to phantasms, and
therefore it does not understand itself save through becoming
actually intelligent by means of ideas abstracted from phantasms;
for thus it understands itself through its own act, as shown above
(Q. 87, A. 1). When, however, it is separated from the body, it
understands no longer by turning to phantasms, but by turning to
simply intelligible objects; hence in that state it understands
itself through itself. Now, every separate substance "understands
what is above itself and what is below itself, according to the mode
of its substance" (De Causis viii): for a thing is understood
according as it is in the one who understands; while one thing is in
another according to the nature of that in which it is. And the mode
of existence of a separated soul is inferior to that of an angel, but
is the same as that of other separated souls. Therefore the soul
apart from the body has perfect knowledge of other separated souls,
but it has an imperfect and defective knowledge of the angels so far
as its natural knowledge is concerned. But the knowledge of glory is
otherwise.

Reply Obj. 1: The separated soul is, indeed, less perfect considering
its nature in which it communicates with the nature of the body: but
it has a greater freedom of intelligence, since the weight and care
of the body is a clog upon the clearness of its intelligence in the
present life.

Reply Obj. 2: The separated soul understands the angels by means of
divinely impressed ideas; which, however, fail to give perfect
knowledge of them, forasmuch as the nature of the soul is inferior to
that of an angel.

Reply Obj. 3: Man's ultimate happiness consists not in the knowledge
of any separate substances; but in the knowledge of God, Who is seen
only by grace. The knowledge of other separate substances if
perfectly understood gives great happiness--not final and ultimate
happiness. But the separated soul does not understand them perfectly,
as was shown above in this article.
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [I, Q. 89, Art. 3]

Whether the Separated Soul Knows All Natural Things?

Objection 1: It would seem that the separated soul knows all natural
things. For the types of all natural things exist in separate
substances. Therefore, as separated souls know separate substances,
they also know all natural things.

Obj. 2: Further, whoeve