Thomas Aquinas was a Roman Catholic Scholar who synthesized the
political philosophy of Aristotle with Christianity. With that being said Aquinas
claimed that a just ruler or government must work for the common good of
everyone. Aquinas had a similar view as Aristotle in that natural law is
designed for good purposes. He also agreed with the idea of the need for
rulers and those that are ruled. However, Aquinas went on to say that God
created nature and rules the world by “divine reason”. The classical Greeks
and Romans “saw political theory as a branch, in fact, the most important
branch, of philosophy. The Christian political thinkers kept this philosophical
focus but elevated theology above it, making philosophy the handmaid of
theology” (Cheek, 2021).
Aquinas defines law as an “ordinance of reason for the common
good, made ny him who has care of the community, and promulgated”
(Aquinas, 1912). Like Augustine, Aquinas also described four types of laws.
They were eternal law, divine law, natural law, and human law. The first
three questions in the Treatise on Law are separated into three topics: what
is the essence of law, the effects of the law, and the eternal law. Aquinas
believed that reason is the first thing humans act upon. The source in any
kind of thing “is the measure and rule of that kind of thing… and so we
conclude that law belongs to reason” (Aquinas, 1912). The second question
is whether the law is always ordained for the common good. Aquinas
believed that we are not able to find common good without reason, as it
leads us to happiness through law. The third question is if anyone’s reason is
able to make law. He states, “therefore the making of a law belongs either to
the whole people or to a public personage who has care of the whole people”
(Aquinas, 1912). The last question is whether or not proclamation is an
essential component of the law. Aquinas agrees that it is an essential
component of the law and that God instilled natura law into man’s mind so
as to be known by him naturally.
Eternal law comes from God and is all his doing, as well as divine
law. Divine law is significant because it is any law to be directed to the
common good. However, when it comes to human law Aquinas states
“human law is only valid if it conforms to natural law” (Aquinas, 1912). If a
law is unjust, then it is not actually a law, but instead a distortion of it. This
shows the difference between Aristotle and Aquinas. While Aquinas
recognized the different laws, one focus point remained and that was that
the law stems from God and should be with good intention.
Now that Aquinas’ views of law have been explained, it is important
to also interpret his views on those that carry out those laws. Aquinas’ De
Regno was written to the king of Cyprus. In this writing, there are two
foundations of political philosophy that are discussed: the best form of
government and tyranny. Like Aristotle, Aquinas preferred a mixture of
different government forms. Aquinas acknowledged the value of a king by
saying “from this it is clearly shown that the idea of king implies that he be
one man who is chief and that he be a shepherd, seeking the common good
of the multitude and not his own” (Aquinas & Eschmann, 1967). This shows
that Aquinas supported a king that was just and did not support an absolute
monarch.
Aquinas also argued that nobility should advise a king and limit his
power. The chief concern of the rule of a multitude “is to procure the unity of
peace. It is not even legitimate for him to deliberate whether he shall
establish peace in the multitude subject to him, just as a physician does not
deliberate whether he shall heal the sick man encharged to him, for no one
should deliberate about an end which he is obliged to seek, but only about
the means to attain that end” (Aquinas & Eschmann, 1967). Also, the king’s
laws must result from the deliberation of reason and have the consent of
both the nobility and the people. This supports Aquinas’ view of multiple
government types as well as a balance of power. The Bible also supports
Aquinas’ view that God governs all and those in positions of authority should
carry out his will. Romans 13:1-2 states, “Let every person be subject to the
governing authorities. For there is no authority except God, and those that
exist have been instated by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities
resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement”
(Rom. 13:1-2).
Aquinas said it is the duty of the government to see that the true
end is achieved, which is the realization of honesty, goodness, and virtue.
Therefore, since few men reach true virtue “it seems more tolerable if one be
set up to rule who, fearing the judgement of men, is restrained from manifest
evils” (Aquinas & Eschmann, 1967). These ideas can be seen and supported
by previous readings. Augustine believed that both society and the state
were created by God. This view indicates that the state had no separate
existence outside the church
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