Exploring the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas
The Relationship Between Faith and Reason
If philosophy is a science based on reason, theology is based on faith and revelation. In the 13th century, several intellectual currents gained momentum:
1. Averroism
This intellectual current fully accepts the Aristotelian view and the autonomy of reason against faith. It is based on three theses:
- The world is eternal: God is the creator of the world because it is eternal, contradicting Christian theology.
- Only the understanding of the human soul is immortal: For Aristotle, the understanding, common to all men, is immortal. Denying the immortality of the individual soul contradicts Christian doctrine.
- Double theory of truth: There are two truths: theological (faith) and philosophical (reason). This thesis attempts to reconcile conflicting views.
2. Dialecticians
Dialecticians prioritize reason over faith, believing it can be analyzed and demonstrated through reason. They favor science, philosophy, and mathematics to understand nature, but in complex matters, they may defer to faith.
3. Anti-Dialecticians
Anti-dialecticians oppose philosophy, believing it confuses believers. They advocate for blind faith, considering it the only true wisdom.
4. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, a theologian and admirer of Aristotle, maintained that Aristotelian philosophy was compatible with Christian faith, disagreeing with Averroists. He believed truth is singular, accessible through different routes, the ultimate truth being God. God’s knowledge is attainable through revelation and reason, starting from created things. Philosophy, built upon sensory experience, provides limited knowledge of God. Christian faith offers insights into God’s nature and human destiny, complementing reason. Faith and reason intersect, with revelation completing human reason.
The Existence of God
Revelation states that God exists. However, human knowledge begins with senses, making God’s existence not self-evident. Rational demonstration is needed.
Five Ways of Proving God’s Existence (Thomistic Arguments)
These cosmological proofs, inspired by Aristotle, are based on:
- Motion: Everything that moves is moved by another. This chain cannot be infinite; a First Mover, unmoved by anything, is necessary—this is God.
- Efficient Causality: Everything that exists is the effect of a cause. This series of causes cannot be infinite; a First Efficient Cause (uncaused) is necessary—this is God.
- Contingency of Beings: Contingent beings exist but may cease to exist. This implies a time when nothing existed. Therefore, a Necessary Being, which cannot not exist and causes others, is required—this is God. (Inspired by Maimonides)
- Degrees of Perfection: Beings possess varying degrees of perfection (goodness, truth, nobility). This implies an absolutely perfect being, the cause of all perfections—this is God. (Inspired by Plato and Aristotle)
- Cosmic Order (Teleological Proof): The order in the natural world, even in non-intelligent beings acting with purpose, suggests an intelligent being directing all things—this is God.
Thomistic Ethics and Politics
Ethics
Like Aristotle, Aquinas believed the ultimate goal of moral activity is achieving the perfection of human nature, which is happiness. True happiness lies only in God. An act is good if it leads to this end, and bad if it deviates. Natural law, a moral norm accessible to reason and derived from God’s eternal law, guides this differentiation. Aquinas initiated the concept of natural law, a precursor to human rights. He defines good, following Aristotle, as that which all things naturally desire.
Politics
The state’s ultimate goal is the common good, achieved through positive law. Peace, morality, and necessary goods are its objectives. The common good justifies civil authority. Laws are unjust if they contradict these objectives and natural law, in which case citizens are not obligated to obey.