THOMAS AQUINAS
(1225-1274)
 DISTINCTION BETWEEN
PHILOSOPHY& THEOLOGY, NATURAL
& SUPERNATURAL ENDS
 A SYNTHESIS OF THE PLATONICAUGUSTINIAN & THE ARISTOTELIAN
POINTS OF VIEW
 PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE:
ESSENTIALLY REALIST & CONCRETE
THOMAS AQUINAS
PRINCIPLES OF CREATED BEING
 THE ONE & THE MANY, SUBSTANCE &
ACCIDENTS
 ARISTOTLE’S HYLEMORPHISM, ACT &
POTENCY, PRIME MATTER AS PURE
POTENTIALITY  REJECTS AUGUSTINE’S
RATIONES SEMINALES & PLURALITY OF
SUBSANTIAL FORMS IN THE COMPOSITE
SUBSTANCE
 RELATION OF EXISTENCE TO ESSENCE
 IN THE HEART OF ALL FINITE BEING:
CONTINGENCY/NON-NECESSITY GOD
(NECESSARY BEING), SOURCE OF FINITE
EXISTENCE
THOMAS AQUINAS
PHIL. OF GOD: 5 WAYS TO GOD
 ANSELM’S ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
 5 WAYS TO GOD’S EXISTENCE: MOTION,
EFFICIENT CAUSALITY, CONTINGENCY OF
THE WORLD, DEGREES OF PERFECTION,
FINAL CAUSALITY
 CENTRALITY OF THE 3RD WAY OF PROVING
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
 LOGICAL BASIS: PRINCIPLE OF
SUFFICIENT REASON
THOMAS AQUINAS
METAPHYSICS
 ANALOGIA ENTIS: A WAY TO KNOW GOD’S
NATURE AS A NECESSARY BEING; HOW
CAN THE WORDS OF ANY HUMAN
LANGUAGE BE AT ALL APPLICABLE TO
THE DIVINE BEING
 DIFFICULTY WITH ANALOGY OF BEING
 DOCTRINE OF THE DIVINE IDEAS IN THE
DIVINE INTELLIGENCE
 NO REAL DISTINCTION IN DIVINE
ATTRIBUTES
THOMAS AQUINAS
METAPHYSICS
 METAPYSICS OF PARTICIPATION
 GOD: IPSE ESSE SUBSISTENS; ACTUS PURUS
= EXISTENCE ITSELF
 ALL CREATURES PARTICIPATE IN GOD’S
EXISTENCE ACCORDING TO ITS LIMITED
ESSENCE
 CREATION OUT NOTHING
 GOD’S FREE ACT OF CREATION OUT OF
LOVE
 GOD’S OMNIPOTENCE & PROBLEM OF
EVIL
THOMAS AQUINAS
EPISTEMOLOGY
 CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIS
EPISTEMOLOGY & HIS PHIL. OF MAN
& PSYCHOLOGY
 ORIGIN OF HUMAN IDEAS &
KNOWLEDGE: AQUINAS’ EMPIRICISM
 NO DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF
PARTICULARS
 THEORY OF ABSTRACTION
 THEORY OF JUDGMENT
THOMAS AQUINAS
ETHICS
 NATURAL LAW ETHICS: (1) HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND; (2) ARISTOTLE’S
INFLUENCE; (3) BASIC IDEAS; (4) NATURAL
LAW AS A MORAL LAW; (5) NATURAL LAW
IN A CONCRETE SITUATION; (6) NATURAL
LAW & THEONOMIC ETHICS; (6) NATURAL
LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS; (7) EVALUATION
 ETHICS OF VIRTUE
THOMAS AQUINAS
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
 ARISTOTLE’S INFLUENCE: A CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP BTW ETHICS &
POLITICS; THE STATE IS NEEDED IS
NEEDED BY HUMAN NATURE
 RELIGION & STATE
 INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN & STATE
 MEANING, TYPE, AND FUNCTION OF
LAW
 VARIOUS TYPES OF GOVERNMENT