Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas

Christian philosopher and theologian
Country: Italy

Content:
  1. Thomas Aquinas: A Philosopher and Theologian of the 13th Century
  2. Career in Paris and Italy
  3. Conflict with Averroism
  4. Return to Italy and Later Work
  5. Death and Legacy
  6. Aquinas' Metaphysics of Being
  7. The Relationship between Essence and Existence
  8. The Role of the Senses and the Intellect in Knowledge
  9. The Primacy of Existence in Knowledge
  10. The Nature of Being
  11. The Principle of Causality
  12. Creation and the Communication of Being
  13. The Harmony of Reason and Faith

Thomas Aquinas: A Philosopher and Theologian of the 13th Century

Early Life and Education

Thomas Aquinas was born in 1226 near Aquino, Italy. Raised by Benedictine monks at Monte Cassino, he later studied the liberal arts at the University of Naples. In 1244, he joined the Dominican Order and traveled to Paris and Cologne for his novitiate and theological studies under Albertus Magnus.

Thomas Aquinas

Career in Paris and Italy

In 1252, Aquinas returned to Paris and became a Master of Theology at the University of Paris. He wrote influential commentaries on Peter Lombard's "Sentences" and Boethius' "On the Trinity." From 1259 to 1268, he resided in Italy as a counselor to the papal curia and advisor on theological matters. During this period, he began writing his philosophical masterpiece, "Summa contra Gentiles," and his theological magnum opus, "Summa Theologiae."

Thomas Aquinas

Conflict with Averroism

In 1268, Aquinas was summoned back to Paris to defend against a new form of Aristotelianism known as Latin Averroism. His treatise "On the Unity of the Intellect against the Averroists" refuted their doctrine of a single, impersonal intellect.

Thomas Aquinas

Return to Italy and Later Work

In 1272, Aquinas returned to Italy to establish a new Dominican house in Naples. He continued working on his "Summa Theologiae" and also wrote a treatise on the power of God ("On the Power of God").

Death and Legacy

Aquinas died suddenly in 1274 while en route to the Council of Lyons. He was canonized in 1567 and declared a Doctor of the Church. His writings and teachings have had a profound influence on Christian theology, philosophy, and law.

Aquinas' Metaphysics of Being

Hypostases and Subjecthood

Aquinas distinguished between divine creatures (effecti) as individual substances (supposita) and their act of existing (esse). Subjecthood applies only to what exists in its own right. Thus, only substances and their accidents possess existence (being).

The Relationship between Essence and Existence

For Aquinas, essence (quiddity) designates what a thing is, while the suppositum is what exists and acts. Existence is the ultimate act of a substance's essence. Subjecthood resides in the suppositum itself, not in its parts.

The Role of the Senses and the Intellect in Knowledge

Humans perceive the external world through their senses, which convey sensory data to the intellect. The intellect then abstracts concepts from sensory experience. These abstract concepts allow us to grasp the essence of things.

The Primacy of Existence in Knowledge

Aquinas affirmed that existence precedes essence in the order of knowledge. The intellect first grasps existence in the act of judgment, which connects concepts back to the world of substances and their acts of existing.

The Nature of Being

Aquinas distinguished between different levels of being, recognizing that beings (entia) share a common analogy in their participation in existence. The highest level of actuality is "pure being" or "pure existence," which is God.

The Principle of Causality

All created substances have their own limited existence, which is distinct from their essence. Aquinas argued that this requires a cause that is itself pure existence, the "First Cause" or God.

Creation and the Communication of Being

God created the universe through an act of free will, bestowing existence on created substances. God's goodness is communicated to creation, enabling it to participate in his own being.

The Harmony of Reason and Faith

Aquinas believed that faith and reason are complementary modes of knowledge. While faith relies on divine revelation, reason is capable of arriving at certain truths through natural light. Philosophy and theology are therefore not in conflict but mutually enriching.

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