Introduction to Political Philosophy
Lecture 3 - St. Thomas Aquinas, "Natural Law and Monarchy"
Asterisks indicate points of particular importance.
St. Thomas Aquinas and his World
Thirteenth Century Europe
Population & economic growth
Rise of new zealous religious orders (Dominicans and Franciscans)
Powerful papacy
Strengthening of central monarchies (esp. France and England)
Conflicts between Papacy and Monarchies
Introduction of Aristotle's works to Christian Europe
Life of St. Thomas Aquinas
Born in the county of Aquino, Italy of a noble family.
Joined the Dominican Order.
Taught at the University of Paris.
Synthesized Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology.
Condemnation of 1277
Canonized in 1323
Named "Doctor of the Church" in 1567; his Summa Theologiae is placed next to the Bible on the altar alongside the Decretals (official letters of the Popes).
Thomistic Ethics
Eudaimonism - The Legacy of Aristotle
Rational action is oriented to the good.
There is a final end, a "sovereign good" [L: summum bonum].
Italy
St. Thomas Aquinas stopped work on his Summa Theol...
St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274), the eponym of T...The summum bonum is something that is final (desired for its own sake) and is complete in itself.
The summum bonum is happiness (Gr: eudaimonia; L: beatitudo), which all desire, even if they disagree about what it consists in.
***A Christian Conception of Happiness***
Is perfect happiness possible in this life? (I-II, Qu. 5, a. 3)
Natural Law Theory
The Definition of Law (I-II, Qu. 90)
an ordinance of reason
for the common good
made by him who has care of the community
and promulgated
***The Kinds of Law*** (I-II, Qu. 91)
Eternal law
Natural law
Human law
Divine law
***Our Knowledge of the Natural Law***
God is good and God's Creation is good
So creatures naturally seek what is good
Therefore, all those things to which man has a natural inclination, are naturally apprehended by reason as being good, and consequently as objects...