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ST - Thomas of Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century philosopher who wrote on political theory and the relationship between church and state. He believed that humans are social and political by nature, requiring cooperation and government. He outlined different types of laws and argued that a just ruler governs for the common good, while tyranny can be resisted in limited circumstances.

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Chrizzer Capalad
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28 views13 pages

ST - Thomas of Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century philosopher who wrote on political theory and the relationship between church and state. He believed that humans are social and political by nature, requiring cooperation and government. He outlined different types of laws and argued that a just ruler governs for the common good, while tyranny can be resisted in limited circumstances.

Uploaded by

Chrizzer Capalad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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St.

Thomas of Aquinas
Social Science II: Social, Economic and Political Thought
Outline
▪ Biography
▪ Historical context
▪ Main Works
▪ Human nature
▪ Nature and origin of the state
▪ 4 Types of laws
▪ On Kingship: the right to resist a tyrant
▪ Church and state relations
Biography
▪ Born in Roccasecca, 1224-1227
▪ Benedictine-trained
▪ Joined the newly-established Dominican Order in
1243
▪ Studied in Paris, France, and Cologne
▪ Adviser to the papal court
▪ Died in 1274
Historical context

▪ Medieval life
1. Plurality/feudalism
2. unity
▪ The Two Swords Theory
▪ Medieval philosophy: 2 sources
1. Christianity
2. Pre-Christian philosophy
▪ Scholasticism and Thomism
Main Works
▪ Produced 70 works

▪ De Regno (On Kingship)

▪ Summa Theologica
Human nature
▪ Man is a social and political animal

Since we humans are not sufficiently


endowed by nature with “teeth, horns, and
claws” for procuring our needs, we have to
use reason, speech, and the help of others
to survive.
▪ The state is natural. Human nature dictates that a state is
formed.
Nature and origin of ▪ St. Augustine: Man was created to rule over the fishes of the
the state sea and the fowls of the air but not to rule over men.
▪ St. Thomas: God created man as a social and political animal.
4 Types of Laws
▪ Laws
An ordinance of reason for the common
good, promulgated by one in charge of
the community

▪ Characteristics
➢Right reason
➢Not everyone can make law
➢Promulgated
▪Eternal Law

▪Divine Law

▪Natural Law

▪Human Law
On Kingship and the right
to resist a tyrant
▪ What is a just regime?
▪ Duties of the King
▪ Rule of one or of the few?
➢ unity in decision-making = unity in
society
▪ Tyranny and the doctrine of tyrannicide:
1. What kind of tyranny exists? If mild, then
don’t bother
2. Killer – representative of the people
3. Success
4. Conditions post-tyranny
Church-state relations
▪ The temporal authority of the state is
derived from nature and is
independent of the Church.
▪ Is the Church (spiritual matters)
superior to the state (temporal
matters)?
▪ Why, then, is the Church dominant?
▪ Heretics and excommunication
• Faith over reason
Conclusion • Certainty
• Hierarchy
Questions for discussion
▪ St. Thomas’ teachings emphasized the relationship (and right
ordering) between the Church and the state. Given the widely-
accepted principle of the separation of the Church and the State (at
least in democratic regimes), what is the relevance of his ideas today?
▪ Apply St. Thomas’ right to resist in contemporary times (global
populism).

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