St. Thomas Aquinas

Politics and The Catholic Christian Tradition

Overview

Biographical Background God and Justice Property & Obligations to the Poor

I. Biographical Notes

Born 1224 near Aquino, Italy into noble family

Entered University of Naples about 1236

Entered the Order of St. Dominic around 1240-1243 and lived rest of life as a monk (against his family’s wishes)

I. Biographical Notes

Rediscovery of Aristotle prompts Pope to reassess relation between theology and Greek philosophy.

Aquinas spends his life attempting to reconcile faith and reason into a synthesis

Dies at age 50, having authored some 60 works On 4 August 1879 Pope Leo XIII declared his the

“official” teaching of the Church On 4 August 1880, same Pope designated him

patron saint of all Catholic universities, academies, colleges, and schools throughout the world

God and Justice

Types of Law Eternal Law Divine Law Natural Law Human Law

God and Justice

Types of Law Eternal Law Divine Law Natural Law Human Law

Eternal Law

Unchanging reason of God. God’s plan for the universe Affects everything, including irrational

creatures

“Now it is evident, granted that the world is ruled by Divine providence… that the whole community of the universe is governed by Divine Reason (Question 91, Article 1)

God and Justice

Types of Law Eternal Law Divine Law Natural Law Human Law

Divine Law

Applies to religion and church issues Apprehended through revelation

“[s]ince man is ordained to an end of eternal happiness which is inproportionate to man’s natural faculty… it was necessary that, besdies the natural and the human law, man should be directed to his end by a law given by God (Question 91, Article 4)

God and Justice

Types of Law Eternal Law Divine Law Natural Law Human Law

Natural Law

The eternal law etched upon the human mind

Uniquely human Determines an individual’s telos (end) Helps you seek your essential human

purpose

Natural Law

“Now among all others, the rational creature is subject to Divine providence in the most excellent way, in so far as it partakes of a share of providence, by being provident both for itself and for others. Wherefore it has a share of the Eternal Reason, whereby it has a natural inclination to its proper act and end: and this participation of the eternal law in the rational creature is called the nature law” (Question 91, Article 2)

Natural Law

Operates in 2 ways

Appeal to one’s reason to know how to act in particular circumstances

Human Law

God and Justice

Types of Law Eternal Law Divine Law Natural Law Human Law

Human Law

Emulate natural law to promote justice and the will of God

Necessary to help us when our own reason fails

Guide community to serve justice and the common purposes of all its members

God & Justice

To be “true” law, it must follow natural law Purpose is to help one:

Fulfill his/her telos Fulfill one’s function as a rational creature Seek out the vision of God

If law deviates from natural law, it is non-binding

Implications?

God & Justice

“A tyrannical government is not just, because it is directed, not to the common good, but to the private good of the rule, as the Philosopher states. Consequently, thre is no sedition in disturbing a government of this kind…”

God & Justice

“…unless indeed the tyrant’s rule be disturbed so inordinately, that his subjects suffer greater harm from the consequent disturbance than from the tyrant’s government” (Question 42, Article 2)

God & Justice

“Indeed, it is the tyrant rather that is guilty of sedition, since he encourages discord and sedition among his subjects, that he may lord over them more securely; for this is tyranny, being conducive to the private good of the ruler, and to the injury of the multitude” (Question 42, Article 2).

God & Justice

An unjust law is no law at all An unjust ruler is no ruler Human law as its own telos – political

authority and human law must obey God and natural law.

Both God and natural law act as external restrictions constraining what the ruler can and cannot do

God & Justice

Aquinas provides 2 sets of checks on tyrannical rulers: God/natural law and the threat of execution through insurrection

Property

Is property natural to the human species? Yes

God has given man power over the other elements of His creation

“This natural dominion of man over other creatures, which is competent to man in respect of his reason wherein God’s image resides, is shown forth in man’s creation by the words: Let us make man to Our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, etc.” (Question 66, Article 1)

Property

Private Property? Yes, necessary for human life for 3

reasons:1. Human beings are selfish:

“every man is more careful to procure what is for himself alone than that which is common to many or to all: since each one would shirk the labour and leave to another that which concerns the community” (Question 66, Article 2)

Property

2. Division of Labor/Specialization leads to greater productivity:“Because human affairs are conducted in

more orderly fashion if each man is charged with taking care of some particular thing himself, whereas there would be confusion if everyone had to look after one thing indeterminately” (Question 66, Article 2)

Property

3. Ensures tranquility:“A more peaceful state is ensured to man if

each one is contented with his own. Hence it is to be observed that quarrels arise more frequently where there is no division of the things possessed” (Question 66, Article 2)

Property

Any limits on property? Any obligations?

Recall hierarchy of laws:“Things which are of human right cannot

derogate from natural rights or Divine right” (Question 66, Article 7)

Property

Further recall the idea of the natural order to the universe, its source, and its implications:

“Now according to the natural order established by Divine providence, inferior things are ordained for the purpose of succouring man’s needs by their means. Wherefore the division and appropriation of things which are based on human law, do not preclude the fact that man’s needs have to be remedied by means of these very things” (Question 66, Article 7)

Property

Thus, the rich do not have unlimited entitlement to “superabundance”

Property

“Whatever certain people have in superabundance is due, by natural law, to the purpose of succouring the poor. For this reason Ambrose says,and his words are embodied in the Decretals: It is the hungry man’s bread that you withhold, the naked man’s cloak that you store away, the money that you bury in the earth is the price of the poor man’s ransom and freedom” (Question 66, Article 7)

Property

Upshot?

“If the need be so manifest and urgent, that it is evident that the present need must be remedied by whatever means be at hand 9for instance when a person is in some imminent danger, and there is no other possible remedy), then it is lawful for a man to succour his own need by means of another’s property, by taking it either openly or secretly: nor is this properly speaking theft or robbery” (Question 66, Article 7)

Conclusion

Given hierarchy of laws, what political structure emerges?

Political Authority

Ecclesiastical Authority

Divine Power