Aquinas Research Articles

Philosophy in Dialogue with Other Sciences on the Example of Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas

Philosophy in Dialogue with Other Sciences on the Example of Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas

On Tang Junyi’s Critique of Anselm’s Argument for the Existence of God

Anselm’s argument for the existence of God posits that the concept of God inherently implies its existence. Tang Junyi critiques this argument from two fundamental angles. Firstly, he argues that the contingency of human thought places an unwarranted burden of proof on the existence of God, introducing an inherent contradiction within the argument’s premise. Secondly, he contends that Anselm’s argument fails to deduce the existence of God from empirical things. Tang’s empirical approach to critiquing the argument bears a superficial resemblance to St. Thomas Aquinas’s cosmological argument for God’s existence, yet a profound difference exists between the two, precluding their equivalence. Delving deeper, Tang’s critique is rooted in the Confucian philosophy. Nevertheless, Tang’s critique, while insightful, does not fully dismantle Anselm’s argument, underscoring the intrinsic differences and tensions between Chinese and Western perspectives on religion and philosophy.

Illuminating Causality: The Role of Light in Thomas Aquinas’s Metaphysics of Being

In this article, we hold a strong thesis, i.e., that light is the conceptual resource that best explains the creative act in Thomas Aquinas’s metaphysics. Thus, inasmuch as being is the luminous act of the Uncreated Being, it bears resemblance to the Uncreated Being in its very principle. In this sense, we seek to present the role of light, in its meaning as manifestation, as an act that belongs to being. Indeed, in contrast with some contemporary interpretations, which place light within the order of formal causality, we argue that light, in its belonging to Aquinas’s participatory metaphysics, pertains to the order of efficient causality. Therefore, we hold that light has strong explanatory pretensions in Aquinas’ thought. Accordingly, after an introduction (1), this article is divided into the following sections: (2) The Meaning of Divine Causality; (3) Being as Light; (4) The Manifestative Character of Light; (5) Light Images: Analogies and Metaphors; and (6) Conclusions.

Knowing what you want–why disembodied repentance is impossible

Abstract It is a reasonable worry that God would not truly love us and want our salvation if He fixed a definite point after which He will no longer offer us the graces to repent of our sins. I propose that Thomas Aquinas succeeds in showing us that God would not be cruel or arbitrary in setting up a world where embodied agents end up after death in a state where they will inevitably fail to repent of their sins. Aquinas proposes that being disembodied is to be in a state where a person cannot be mistaken about what they want, given that they know themselves perfectly. If the disembodied state were like this, it would not be surprising that being in that state makes repentance impossible, since a soul would become fully integrated around whatever one desired, without any conflicting desires that could prompt repentance. Thus, humans would persist in whatever desires they had at the moment of death and disembodiment. I conclude by arguing that, while this scenario stands in need of fuller theodicy, Aquinas’s scenario is helpful in defending a view that God is not cruel or arbitrary for creating a world in which post-mortem repentance is impossible.

DETERMINING THE INDETERMINATE

Reconciling the permanence of existence with the existence of change is a long-standing metaphysical puzzle. Some, following Aristotle, resolve this tension by positing ‘prime matter’, a bedrock which grounds all change. Saint Thomas Aquinas argued prime matter had to be purely potential, thus completely indeterminate and extensionless. This article charitably reconstructs and critically assesses Aquinas’ view, arguing it is far too restrictive. Prime matter need only be maximally potential and determinable, allowing it to take on certain determinate properties. I argue extension is an obvious candidate property and propose five theories positing extended prime matter: (1) a subtle revision of Aquinas' own view, (2) a hylomorphic approach which attributes to prime matter an ‘elastic’ extension, (3) a minimally/infinitesimally extended prime matter inspired by ancient atomism and late-renaissance/early-modern corpuscularianism, (4) a maximally/infinitely extended prime matter influenced by Advaita Vedanta, and (5) a pluralist approach reminiscent of Aristotle's elements. Crucially, by allowing prime matter a determinate characteristic, each proposal demystifies Thomistic prime matter which one could otherwise charge with being so characterless as to slip into the ‘nothingness’ which terrified the Eleatics and motivated the introduction of prime matter in the first place.

The Stance of the Dominicans Towards the Immaculate Conception of Mary on the Example of Selected Scripts (13th-16th Centuries)

This study entitled “The Stance of the Dominicans Towards the Immaculate Conception of Mary on the Example of Selected Scripts (13th- 16the Centuries)” aims to answer the question of how great the influence of St. Thomas’ position on the opinions of Dominican theologians regarding the analyzed issue was. It examines the negative and homogeneous position adopted by the Dominicans, revealing its foundations and the presence of the theological perspective indicated by St. Thomas Aquinas.

La predicación dominicano-tomista como pedagogía de la fe

The author offers a series of guidelines, inspired by the Dominican tradition and by Thomas Aquinas, which should be present in any pedagogy of faith. The general principle that should guide all pedagogy is the search for the truth; precisely this was the project of Thomas Aquinas. The article reflects on a text by Sto. Tomás that exposes the conditions for faith to be given. It ends by providing two important dimensions that must be present in any pedagogy of the faith, namely, the capacity for the positive and the offering of content, inspired by two of the descriptions that are said of Dominic de Guzmán: preacher of grace (capacity for the positive) and doctor of the truth (content offering).

Are Mathematical Objects ‘sui generis Fictions’? Some Remarks on Aquinas’s Philosophy of Mathematics

Abstract This contribution proposes an interpretation of Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy of mathematics. It is argued that Aquinas’s philosophy of mathematics is a coherent view whose main features enable us to understand it as a moderate realism according to which mathematical objects have an esse intentionale. This esse intentionale involves both mathematicians’ intellectual activity and natural things being knowable mathematically. It is shown that, in Aquinas’s view, mathematics’ constructive part does not conflict with mathematical realism. It is also held that mathematics’ imaginative reasoning is coherent with Aquinas’s doctrine of formal abstraction and his realistism. It focuses on some of Aquinas’s texts, which it places within their textual and doctrinal context and interprets them in the light of some historical elements.

Regula Et Mensura: Philosophical Exploration of Moral Position in The Indonesian Legal System According to The Thoughts of Thomas Aquinas

The relationship between law and morals in the perspective of legal thought focuses on the conflict between positivism and natural law. The main problem concerns whether or not there is a relationship between the two rules which influence the existence and validity of legal rules so that they bind members of society. The aim of this research is to find out the legal system in Indonesia and how the position of moral values is towards the legal system in Indonesia and its practice in the justice system in Indonesia. The research method used in this writing is a normative juridicial method, namely legal research conducted by examining library materials and examining laws and regulations related to the problem. The results of this study indicate that the moral position is very influential on the legal system in Indonesia and in its enforcement, because the morale of law enforcement officials is needed to archive true justice. Good law enforcement requires implementation that is directed at the process of archiving goals which includes the actualization of values/morals towards law enforcement officials or often referred to as the legal structure that underlines and becomes a reference for the behavior of law enforcement processes, which is aimed at at achieving legal goals. To elements of good law enforcement.

The Transcendental Status of Beauty: Evaluating the Debate among Neo-Thomistic Philosophers

Over the past 150 years, Thomists have been divided over whether or not St. Thomas Aquinas himself held to the transcendentality of beauty. Francis J. Kovach divides the Thomists into three groups: (1) the transcendentalists, (2) the anti-transcendentalists, and (3) the undecided. Some contemporary Thomist philosophers in the transcendentalist camp, such as Étienne Gilson, see beauty as the forgotten transcendental. We will briefly trace the historical context of the debate by mentioning how philosophers viewed the transcendentality of beauty in ancient and medieval times. Then, we will summarize a contemporary Thomistic transcendentalist view of the nature of beauty and its transcendental status, followed by a contemporary Thomistic anti-transcendentalist view of the nature of beauty and its transcendental status. After that, we will evaluate the nature of beauty according to St. Thomas, as well as the criteria which determines transcendentality. Finally, both the transcendentalist and anti-transcendentalist positions on beauty’s transcendental status will be evaluated to determine whether it is metaphysically consistent to regard beauty as a transcendental according to Thomistic thought.

Reading Aristotle with Thomas Aquinas: His Commentaries on Aristotle’s Major Works by Leo J. Elders (review)

Reading Aristotle with Thomas Aquinas: His Commentaries on Aristotle’s Major Works by Leo J. Elders (review)

Essay About The Western History of Human Rights

Objective: The objective of this article was to investigate the historicity of Human Rights and Human Dignity, with an emphasis on the development of religious natural law in the Roman Catholic and Apostolic periods. Theoretical Framework: Works by renowned authors in Law, Social Sciences and Humanities were consulted, namely Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Hans Kelsen and Rafael Diehl. Method: The methodology used in this research was based on a holistic and multidisciplinary analysis, that is, empirical and documentary research was essential for the hermeneutic and conceptual analysis of Human Rights and Human Dignity. Results and Discussion: It is clear that the conceptual notion of human being was, is and seems to be influenced by religious and rationalist natural law perspectives. Implications of the Research: The research seeks to awaken readers to the historicity of Human Rights and Human Dignity, notably regarding apparently extra-legal precepts of natural law. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the Academy, in the sense of, dialectically, providing a dialogue between classical and contemporary theories on Human Rights and Human Dignity.

Methods of Dogmatic Discourse in the Dispute over the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Exemplified by German Dominican Theologians from the 13th to the 16th Century

The important problem of the publication is expressed by two questions: what method was used by German Dominican theologians who were supporters of the Immaculate Conception? How did the change in method change the view of the Immaculate Conception? The path to solving the problem has three stages. The first of them is a reconstruction of the views on the Immaculate Conception of German Dominican theologians. The next stage examines these views in terms of the method used. The final stage is a critical look at the methods used by Dominican supporters of the Immaculate Conception. The method used in the article consists of: systematization of the views of German Dominicans, analysis of the methods used by them and a discourse on the methods of the supporters of the Immaculate Conception with the opponent of this opinion, St. Thomas Aquinas. The change of method, from the scholastic method to the liturgical method (lex orandi – lex credendi), the argument from congruity (ex convenientia), and typological exegesis, has led a few Dominican theologians to the opinion that Mary was preserved or purified from original sin, or that she was conceived without original sin. The methods used by Dominican supporters of the Immaculate Conception have weaknesses. They resemble a circumstantial trial, which provides a high degree of probability, but not proof. This weakness of the methods is exposed by the discourse of these methods with the scholastic method of St. Thomas. This discourse results in the postulate of reinterpreting the Immaculate Conception. We should return to the biblical term “sanctification” and explain that Mary was saved by a more sublime sanctification. This would prevent the immaculate conception of Jesus from being equated with the immaculate conception of Mary. Only Jesus is Immaculate because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and His Mother, conceived by Joachim and Anna, was saved by a more sublime sanctification.

The Position of the General Chapters of the Dominican Brothers Towards the Teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Question of Immaculate Conception

The doctrine of Thomas Aquinas was formally adopted as the official teaching of the entire Dominican Order. Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, general chapters placed significant emphasis on the importance of adhering to Aquinas’ views. They were deemed essential not only to maintain continuity within the orthodox tradition of the Church but also to foster unity within the entire order. Among the topics that sparked debate among medieval theologians was the conception of Mary. While Bernard of Clairvaux and the Dominicans rejected the idea of Mary’s immaculate conception, the Franciscans, led by figures like John Duns Scotus, advocated for it. This article highlights the stance taken by the Dominican general chapters in defence of Thomas’ views. Initially, in the 14th century, there were general indications supporting the maculistic understanding of Mary’s conception, but this stance shifted over time. By the 15th century, the Dominicans were compelled to embrace the immaculistic concept. The delayed promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in the mid-19th century underscores the complexity and unresolved nature of theological discussions throughout the medieval period.

The Dominican Stance on the Immaculate Conception of Mary: Insights from Selected Sermons (13th–15th Centuries)

It is commonly believed that in the debate on the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, representatives of the Order of St. Francis were supporters of the Marian privilege, while the Dominicans were against it. The aim of this article is to verify this opinion by analyzing selected Dominican homilies from the 13th –15th centuries, seeking answers to the questions: has the maculist position expressed by preachers been maintained over the centuries? What caused Dominicans to remain unchanged in their views, despite the gradual spread of the opinion about the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which was finally officially accepted by the Church? What role did Saint’s opinion play? Thomas Aquinas to the position of later Dominicans? The results of the analysis of medieval Dominican sermons allow us to consider the opinion that has so far been widespread as one-sided and superficial. The Dominican position is much more complex.

Editorial

To commemorate the jubilee of the death and canonization of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Santo Tomás Institute of Balmesiana organized the 10th Symposium of Thomistic Studies, St. Thomas Aquinas, Master of the Sacred Page. The event took place at the Abat Oliba CEU University in Barcelona from May 10th to 12th, 2024. Other institutions, in particular, the Association pour le Centenaire Thomas d’Aquin (ACTA) from Toulouse, contributed greatly to the organization of the symposium. This event aimed to explore St. Thomas’ use of Sacred Scripture in his role as a biblical scholar. This is one of the aspects of the doctrine of Aquinas that has recently gained prominence, as there has been a renewed appreciation for the central role that Sacred Scripture played in the theology of the Angelic Doctor, frequently referred to as “biblical Thomism”. The purpose of the symposium was not only historical but also doctrinal, aiming to shed light on contemporary biblical hermeneutics and exegesis. The symposium was structured around the three core activities of the medieval scholar: legere, disputare, and praedicare, with the intention to understand the place of Sacred Scripture in each of these. It began with several introductory issues that addressed Aquinas' biblical hermeneutics and its foundations, with enriching contributions from professors Martínez, Amado, Loiseau, and Manresa. Next, the symposium delved into Aquinas' biblical exegesis, focusing on his commentaries on St. John, St. Paul, and a book of the Old Testament, with insightful presentations by Professors Giambrone, Roszak, and Ossandón. The following sessions were dedicated to the examination of how St. Thomas utilized disputare in his construction of a theological system. Professors Margelidon, Aroztegi, and Prieto offered valuable reflections on grace, the sacraments, and divine knowledge. Finally, the symposium turned to Aquinas' praedicare and his use of Scripture in preaching, with illuminating presentations by professors Smith, Vijgen, and Perrin. Thomas Olivier Venard concluded the symposium by discussing the contemporary relevance of Aquinas' biblical hermeneutics. We are pleased to offer the reader a substantial number of these enriching contributions in both this and the next issue of Bíblica et Patristica. We are grateful to the Editorial Board for their willingness to publish the texts and, in this way, familiarise the readers with the fruitful discussions we experienced in Barcelona in May.

The Virtue of Religion and the Act of Doing Sacred Theology

In the theological tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas, this paper will argue that the practical actions of studying, contemplation, and teaching sacred theology are acts proper to the infused Christian virtue of religion. To understand this, the framework of Thomistic moral theology and anthropology is necessary. After introducing this background, St. Thomas’s understanding of the virtue of justice is explained alongside the virtue of religion, which is a potential part of this cardinal virtue. The second part of the paper moves into a description of the practical actions of theologizing, as distinguished from the essential nature of sacred theology. The way that these actions are variously elicited or commanded by the infused virtue of religion are then shown to be properly due to God as His just right.

Utrum sit una tantum vera enumeratio virtutum moralium (Whether There Is a Single Correct List of the Virtues of Character)

Abstract Virtue ethics tells us to ‘act in accordance with the virtues’, but can often be accused, for example, in Aristotle’s Ethics, of helping itself without argument to an account of what the virtues are. This paper is, stylistically, an affectionate tribute to the Angelic Doctor, and it works with a correspondingly Thomistic background and approach. In it I argue for the view that there is at least one correct list of the virtues, and that we can itemise at least seven items in the list, namely the four cardinal and three theological virtues.

LECTURE #1. FROM SOCRATES TO MILTON: THE FORMATION OF THE BASIC CONCEPTUAL IDEAS OF FREEDOM

The lecture is devoted to the analysis of the use of the concept of «freedom» in different periods of the formation of European civilization: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation period. The role in understanding the category of «freedom» of such thinkers as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, Dante and Vico, Machiavelli and Montaigne, Guicciardini and Rinuccini, Hugo Grotius and Martin Luther, Montaigne and Milton is shown. The existing definitions of the concept of «freedom» are analyzed.

The Powers of The Soul in Late Franciscan Thought: The Case of Peter of Trabibus

In the late medieval period, the issue of the composed nature of human beings and its relation to medieval faculty psychology became central. There is ample scholarship on this topic, focusing primarily on authors such as the Dominicans Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, and the Franciscans Alexander of Hales, Hugh of St. Cher, John of La Rochelle, and Peter John Olivi. In this paper, we want to examine the view of one of Olivi’s disciples, the Franciscan theologian Peter of Trabibus (fl. 1290s), on the unity of the human soul and the nature of its powers, especially the powers of the intellect and the will. We are particularly interested in his application of the principle of plurality of substantial forms to explain the nature of the relation between the powers of the soul and its essence.