Participation and Elevation: Clarifying the Metaphysics of Instrumental Causality in Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas's account of instrumental causality is central to his understanding of divine action, yet his terminology often appears fluid. This paper investigates the metaphysical coherence of Aquinas's theory, addressing how created agents produce effects transcending their natural powers. After analyzing principal and instrumental agency and the mechanism of elevation via virtus fluens, we propose a threefold typology of instrumentality: Universal Metaphysical, Natural and Artistic, and Supernatural. Engaging the Scotistic critique of “dual agency,” we defend Aquinas's elevation model through the analogy of being, demonstrating its unique explanatory power in maintaining the ontological distinction between Creator and craftsman.