FAILURE AND RECOVERY IN THE INTELLECT AND WILL

weakness of will implies degrees in the power of the practical syllogism ... it's what makes it different from its sister syllogism the theoretical ... as opinion recedes from certainty and loses persuasiveness the practical intellect loses decisiveness ... as one loses truth the other loses action ... the theoretical intellect likes to think of itself as the mind ... the practical intellect is the breath of the spirit in the soul ... in action or despair ... trying for instance would be firming the stomach muscles and holding your breath if the practical intellect had a body as it has a will ... trying it would be judged by adversity ... failing measured by its hope in its desire to be steadfast ... succeeding it would be tested immediately by grace to do in grace the right thing in the right way or not ... in the middle of triumph it must recognize the steady beat of truth and in the center of the truth it must hear the call to act ... nurtured in the lap of that truth now it must stand and take the spirit's hand