Political Philosophy
maemk
St.ThomasAquinas.pptxSt. Thomas Aquinas
Philosophy of religion
About St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 7 March 1274) was born in Lazio, Italy. He is a Philosopher, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church.
His best known work, the Summa Theologiae, is often cited by philosophers when his position on this or that issue is sought.
Scholastic Philosopher
Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that employed a critical method of philosophical analysis presupposed upon a Latin Christian theistic paradigm which dominated teaching in the medieval universities in Europe from about 1100 to 1700.
However, he never considered himself a philosopher, and criticized philosophers, whom he saw as pagans, for always "falling short of the true and proper wisdom to be found in Christian revelation."
The Incapability of humans of the truth without revelation
Thomas Aquinas believed "that for the knowledge of any truth whatsoever man needs divine help, that the intellect may be moved by God to its act.“
Maybe the human intellect is not the only tool for knowledge?
Philosophy: uses Logic as base principle for knowing the truth (about the world)
Theology: uses revelation (belief) for knowing the truth (about God).
Difference Between Philosophy and theology
… it should be noted that different ways of knowing give us different sciences. The astronomer and the natural philosopher both conclude that the earth is round, but the astronomer does this through a mathematical middle that is abstracted from matter, whereas the natural philosopher considers a middle lodged in matter. Thus there is nothing to prevent another science from treating in the light of divine revelation what the philosophical disciplines treat as knowable in the light of human reason. (Summa Theologiae, Ia.1.1 ad 2)
So why approach philosophy and religion?
For Aquinas theological discourse begins with what God has revealed about Himself and His action in creating and redeeming the world. The world is understood in that light. Philosophical discourse begins with knowledge of the world. If it speaks of God what it says is conditioned by what is known of the world.
The Enjoyment of GOD
There is a hierarchy of the human ends. This hierarchy culminated in the “Enjoyment of God”
Unaided human reason could never find a way for this end to be reached.
It is only the faith in scriptures that can help us reach to the enjoyment of God.
“Grace does not go away with nature but perfects it” (ST 1a.8.2_
Natural and supernatural orders of the World
The state and society are both natural organic orders of the human life that have one goal: the common good. (Aristotle)
But since he is a Christian and believed in the hierarchy of the human needs (on top of which is the enjoyment of God), the state for him is never enough to perfect human societies. The purpose of the human life transcends this life. (parted with Aristotle)
So basically people are naturally wired to be subordinates ?
His Aristotelian theory of the naturality of the state and society (man is a political and social animal) challenged the Christian main stream of his time that considered man’s true nature is that they had before the Fall: free of all dominion.
Aquinas says that there are two forms of dominion: coercive and decretive. By nature man wants directive dominion.
The theory of law
To better explain the structure of natural and supernatural order of the world, Aquinas had to produce a hierarchical interrelation of different forms of law. The link between these forms of laws was REASON.
The eternal law
This is the Providence of God for governing the universe. The typical plan of the divine wisdom of God. Directing all actions in motion. Directing all entities to attain their end.
Because humans are rational beings, they could understand the principles of the eternal law, and how it applied specifically to them (that is the fact that they have reason and are naturally endowed to use it in order to be part of the natural law)
The natural law
This ‘is nothing but the participation of the eternal law in a rational creature’ (St. 1 a2ae. 91.2)
Human beings perceived this law through their reason, hence it exists.
This law directs the human toward the good in three instances: a. survival instinct
b. sexual instinct
c. reflection
Addition and subtraction to natural and eternal laws
Additions can be made by human reason, which inturn would be allowed by the eternal law, on the condition that the sddition would work for the good of the human life. Ex.
Property, servitude, killing in war.
Human Law
This is the law derived through reason from the natural law.
It has two forms:
the law of peoples: direct from nature such as the laws of buying and selling
The civil law: this is the law promulgated by the ruler (one, group or many) to maintain the common good (basically political laws, constitution)
The human law has to always go in accordance with the natural law.
The divine Law
Because man has a supernatural destiny, human law and natural law are not enough to direct him to his Destiney.
This law is the Scriptures.
