In the monastery of Fossanova, near Terracina, St. Thomas of Aquin, confessor and doctor, of the Order of Preachers, illustrious by the nobility of his birth, the sanctity of his life, and his knowledge of theology. Leo XIII. declared him heavenly patron of all Catholic schools. …
Today (March 7) is the traditional feast day of Thomas Aquinas, an Italian friar and priest who remains one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the entirety of Western Civilization.
Known as the "Angelic Doctor" —with "doctor" meaning teacher in Catholic theological circles—Aquinas is often cited as the most influential thinker and the greatest philosopher and theologian of the medieval period or "Middle Ages."
(The modernist calendar moved his memorial day to January 28.)
Either way…
Yesterday, I started reading—in earnest for the first time—the Summa contra Gentiles, one of the best-known treatises by Aquinas. It's going to take me some time to get through—it is hard reading. More of a diligent study, really.
Aquinas believed that his arguments on the basis of reason could be understood by those who do not yet believe in the tenets of Christian theology—the "gentiles."
On to the entirety of the Summa Theologica next. Having all that on my plate should take up free time for the next couple of years.
For the Catholics out there, it being the first week of Lent, you may want to consider taking on more spiritual reading or reflection. I think it is a helpful practice that you should be able to fit in during this season. I say "extra" because it is hard to keep up such pace year-long.
Aquinas was the foremost Scholastic philosopher, though he didn't necessarily think of himself as a traditional philosopher. Scholasticism is a philosophical and theological method that harmonizes faith and reason, drawing heavily on Aristotelian principles to systematically explore and explain Christian doctrine, and it was the predominant system in European education for about seven centuries (c. 1100 – c. 1700).
Perhaps one of the most powerful teachings of Aquinas was the Quinque viæ or Five Ways, philosophical arguments for the existence of God, outlined in the Summa Theologica. Each "way" is a logical proof, drawing from observations of the natural world to demonstrate the necessity of a divine cause. Each argument roots itself in Aristotelian philosophy, aiming to bridge both faith and reason.
Briefly:
Argument from Motion: Everything in motion must have been set in motion by something else. This chain cannot go on infinitely, so there must be a "First Mover" —God—who initiates all motion.
Argument from Causation: All things are caused by something else, but there cannot be an infinite regression of causes. Therefore, there must be an uncaused "First Cause," which is God.
Argument from Contingency: Things in the world are contingent—they come into existence and pass away. If everything were contingent, there would have been a time when nothing existed. To explain why anything exists at all, there must be a necessary being—God—who exists by its own nature.
Argument from Degree: We observe varying degrees of qualities (e.g., goodness, truth, beauty). There must be a perfect standard by which these degrees are measured, and this ultimate standard is God.
Argument from Final Cause or Teleology: Natural things act toward an end or purpose, even without intelligence. This purposeful design implies the existence of an intelligent being—God—who directs all things to their ends.
There are many places to go that will help you with the work of St. Thomas. Many translations are available online. If you want to try your hand at the original Latin, by all means go for it.
However, I'd encourage anyone who is interested in a serious, yet approachable, understanding of Aquinas to listen to any one of the podcasts my friend, John DeRosa, does on his Classical Theism Podcast about the Angelic Doctor.
As always,
Brian
