ThomasAquinas(1224-1274CE)
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BornofminornobilityinAquino,southernItaly;
AmemberoftheOrderofPreachersalsoknown
asthe“Dominicans”—sonamedafterthe
founder,DominicdeGuzmán).;
StudiedattheUniversityofParisunderAlbertus
Magnus(AlberttheGreat);
Livedandtaughtduringaperiodofgreat
intellectualvigorandcourageoustheological
investigation;
Creditedwithshapingthetheologicaltraditionof
WesternChristianity;
http://www.marypages.com/ThomasAquinas.jpg
http://www.creationism.org/books/TaylorInMindsMen/TaylorIMMa01.htm
ThomasAquinas(1224-1274CE)
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Likehisteacher,Albertus Magnus
(AlberttheGreat),Aquinassawthe
NaturalWorldasareflectionofGod
whocreateditall;
InfluencedbyAristotelianphilosophy,
AquinasmovedawayfromtheNeoPlatonicsuspicionoftheNaturalWorld;
Instead,usedAristotelianphilosophy
(empiricism)inthedevelopmentofa
theologythatsawGodastheFirst
Moverofallcreation;
HisgreatestworkistheSumma
Theologiae.
Metaphysics
RealityaccordingtoThomasAquinas
BasedonAristotle’s conceptofReality
God.
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SpiritualRealm.
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MaterialRealm.
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GodistheFirstMover.Everythingexistsandthrives
duetoaseriesofcausesandeffects.GodasCreator
startstheprocessofcreation.
GodistheFirstEfficientCause. Thepotential
energyinallthingshasaspecificorder.God
determinesthepurposeandorderofallthings.
GodexistsofGod’sownnecessity. IfCreationarises
fromaseriesofconsecutivemovements,thenthe
world’sexistenceisalwaysdependentonthe
existenceofanother(likedominochipsalignednet
toeachother).God—asCreatorofallthings—exists
independentlyofcreation.
GodisPerfection. Allcreatedthingsarejustflawed
reflectionsofGod,whoisperfection.
GodistheGoal,thetelos ofCreation. Allcreated
thingshavethepotentialtoreachtheirtelos|goal.
Thepurposeofallthingsisfoundin—oris—God.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/nyregion/18trees.html
Metaphysics
TheWorld(SocialOrder)accordingtoThomasAquinas
BasedonAristotle’sconceptofReality
God [Religious Governance].
•God is the basis of Divine Law and the Eternal Law (Ultimate
Goal/Telos).
•The Church enacts the Divine/Eternal Law as God’s will/intent in the
natural world.
King[PoliticalGovernance].
•Thesocialorder(asreflectedintheNaturalLaw)isprotectedbya
BenevolentKingwhoimposesGod’sLawuponhissubjects.
•The King/GovernmentenactsNaturalLawthroughgovernance.
People.
•Thesocialorderdependsonthepeople’sobservanceofNaturaland
DivineLaws.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/nyregion/18trees.html
MedievalWorldandFeudalism
DanteAlegheiri andtheDivineComedy
Domenico di Michelino (1417–1491)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Michelino_DanteAndHisPoem.jpg
GeorgBraunandFranzHogenberg's Lvtetia vulgari nomineParis,1572
http://harvardpress.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d17e553ef01156f3f9eda970c-popup
PlazadelaConstitución (ElZócalo),MéxicoD.F.
http://www.delange.org/Zocalo/Zocalo.htm
PlazadelaConstitución (ElZócalo),MéxicoD.F.
NationalCathedral
http://www.differentworld.com/mexico/areas/mexico-city/guide-zocalo.htm
NationalPalace
AnthropologyandEthics
EthicsaccordingtoThomasAquinas
BasedonAristotle’sconceptofReality
•GodistheultimateSOURCE/CREATOR/GOALofcreation.
•LawsandSocialObligationsareneededtofulfillGod’swillfor
humanity.
•Order—whetherintherealmofthecosmos,thepoliticalorthe
religious—reflectsGod’swill.
•Theethicalpersoniss/hewhoupholdsthesocialorderthatreflects
God’swillfortheworld.Thisorderisreflectedinthe
Importantnote
1. EternalLaw. God’sunalterableruleoverallthings.
2. NaturalLaw. Universalrulesofconductknownfromhuman
nature.
3. HumanLaw. Statutesandlegislationcontrivedbyhuman
government.
4. DivineLaw. SpeciallyrevealedwillofGodforhumanity’s
supernaturalorreligiousend.
Aquinas’Metaphysics(philosophyofreality),TheologyandEthicscombinesAristotelianandPlatonic
philosophieswithitsassumptionthatallcomefromGod/SourceandthatwediscerntheGood/Truth
throughexperience.
Dowestillregard“socialorder”
inthesamewaytoday?
WhiteHouse
NationalCapitol
NationalCathedral
4milesaway
JusticeDepartment
ExampleofModernShiftinSocialOrder:
Whereisthecenterofpower/authority?
http://www.bryanchristiedesign.com/uploadfiles/25washington_map.jpg
Washington,D.C.,a“moderncapital”
SeparationofChurchandState
Thetreeof“moralrelativism”andThomistic Ethics
TRUNK
•God:TheSOURCEofTruth,Good,Reality;
•Divine/EternalLawsareapplicabletoall.
BRANCHES
•MaterialWorld:DiverseExperiencesthatdifferentlyinterprettruth,good,reality;
•NaturalLawthatisreflectedinCreationisasignofGod’sDivine/EternalLaws.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/nyregion/18trees.html