St. Thomas Aquinas’ Influence on Western Thought

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Table of Contents

Introduction
About the Philosopher
Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles
The Impact on the Western Thought
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The medieval period is characterized by a distinctive attitude to philosophy and theology. This vast phenomenon was significantly influenced by the thinkers of Western Europe, from which it received the conventional name Western Thought. An exceptional contribution to this trend was made by the philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas. His most outstanding works were “Summa Contra Gentiles” and the “Summa Theologica.” Thus, this scientific paper aims to study the contribution that St. Thomas Aquinas made to the Western Thought of the Middle Ages.

About the Philosopher

Before considering the influence of St. Thomas Aquinas, it is necessary to gain knowledge about its background. This is of particular importance since the history and life of the figures primarily affect their work. Therefore, St. Thomas Aquinas was born in Italy in 1225 and died in 1274 (Chenu para. 1). In the future, a famous philosopher and theologian, Aquinas, began his journey at Montecassino and later was redirected to the University of Naples in France. This place had a turning point for the man since it was there that he got acquainted with the newly found mendicant order of Preachers or Dominicans and Aristotle’s philosophy. After that, the philosopher decided to become a Dominican, although the family did not support this decision.

Interest in the teachings of Aristotle contributed to the unification of many philosophers, which happened in the case of Thomas Aquinas. Hence, in Cologne, he went to Albert the Great, who shared his interest in Aristotle. The main achievement of Thomas is that he is considered the founder of the philosophical and theological school of Thomism. In addition, the philosopher studied and promoted the foundations of natural theology, was an Empiricist, and made a valuable contribution to Christian theology.

Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles

As already mentioned, one of the outstanding works of Thomas Aquinas is “Summa Theologica.” After being translated into English, it received distribution and recognition under the name “Compendium of Theology” (Waqas 5). It was an article that considered the concept of the concept “quinquae viae.” The second significant work of the philosopher and theologian was “Summa Contra Gentiles” or “On the Truth of the Catholic Faith.” This description was a collection of arguments acting as a refutation of non-Christian religions (Cole and Symes 314). The basis of these works is an analysis between the domains and methods of philosophy and theology of the Middle Ages.

The author sees feelings as a source of knowledge about the root cause of all things around people. In addition, the main object of Thomas Aquinas’ research was God, who was mentioned in the holy scriptures, which did not have as much significance for philosophy as in theology. Sources note that Thomas Aquinas “believed that the study of the physical world was a legitimate way of gaining knowledge of the divine because God had created both the world and the many ways of knowing it” (Cole and Symes 314). These teachings became one of the main driving forces that affected the changes in Western thought of the thirteenth century and beyond.

The Impact on the Western Thought

Another basis of Aquinas’ teaching was a natural and supernatural revelation. According to the philosopher and theologian, they helped to understand religion better and were complementary concepts (Elders 198). Thus, Thomas Aquinas’ contribution was that he provided a theological view of the world as “rational, organized, and comprehensive to the inquiring human mind” (Cole and Symes 335). Valuable in his teaching was also the disclosure of such sacred aspects as the Trinity and Incarnation. Hence, Aquinas believed that many attributes that people attribute to God could be easily explained. However, the mentioned concepts are the object of a more detailed and profound revelation. All this knowledge was revealed in his philosophical works on Christian theology.

In addition to the natural and natural revelations and senses of man, the basis for the teachings of Thomas Aquinas were the scriptures and traditions of the Catholic Church. Moreover, the philosopher believed that the main postulates in the process of acquiring and analyzing new knowledge are faith and reason. It is they who will help to assist in the interpretation of those teachings that were created as a result of God’s revelation. As already mentioned, works on Aristotle’s theology played an essential role in this process. In them, God reveals himself to people through nature, which can help bring people closer to understanding his covenants.

Thomas Aquinas contributed to Western Thought by suggesting that God has several important qualities. First of all, the Almighty is devoid of matter and form, that is, invisible and not felt by people. Moreover, he is perfect in everything and infinite and boundless. These characteristics are prescribed to him because he is the founder of all things. In the end, he is unchangeable neither concerning his nature nor character and is one. Another particularly critical turning point was the introduction by the philosopher and theologian of the principle of double effect (Buzar 1299). The basis of this approach was that in any act of a person, the ethical side should initially be taken into account. For example, a particular action can be justified if it does not violate moral and ethical postulates, such as not harming one’s neighbor.

The philosopher and theologians saw the main final goal of any person’s life as to find union and communion with God. Therefore, throughout his work, he tried to show how not believing in the Almighty can turn out for non-religious people. Consequently, Aquinas thought that there is life after death. However, the theologian believed that this opportunity is available to those who have experienced salvation and redemption. Therefore, during their lives, individuals should do everything to do only the right actions and observe the basic tenets of the religion. Among the main concepts that people should follow are peace, holiness, and mercy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper considered the contribution that Thomas Aquinas made to Western thought. Thus, the Italian philosopher and theologian conducted teachings on the Christian faith and was a follower of the views of Aristotle. He tried to spread knowledge about how important faith is for a person and how it can give him spiritual balance. A feature of his works is also the reliance on the natural and supernatural as sources of deeper knowledge of the Almighty and the definition of his main characteristics. Aquinas views the two main works, “Summa Theologica” and “Summa Contra Gentiles,” were writings refuting non-Christian teachings. Therefore, Thomas Aquinas became a philosopher and theologian who gave impetus to the formation of the future of modern philosophy.

Works Cited

Buzar, Stipe. “The Principle of Double Effect and Just War Theory.” Philosophia, vol. 48, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1299-1312.

Chenu, Marie-Dominique. “St. Thomas Aquinas.”Britannica, no date.

Cole, Joshua and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture. 20th Edition. W. W. Norton and Company, 2020.

Elders, Leo J. The Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas: Happiness, Natural Law, and the Virtues. Catholic University of America Press, 2019.

Waqas, Syed. “Thomas Aquinas’ Theology of God.” Studies in Comparative Theology, 2019.

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