Saint Thomas Aquinas

Question 1

Background on Saint Aquinas

Answer 1

Were a student at the university of Aristotle

A monk in the Dominican order

Studied the relationship between faith and reason. 5 ways of movement

Question 2

5 ways of understanding movement

Answer 2

Thomas Aquinas talks about a cosmological argument for divine existence, based on philosophical thinking. Each begins with a general truth of a natural phenomenon, which is backed up by a divine answer. Like the philosophers, Thomas Aquinas is looking for the truth and finds it in the bible.

1. There are things that are moved or change - Everything is moved by someone (God)
2. There are causes: Movement is initiated by someone - Noting is the cause of itself (God)
3. There are people that exist, but might not have existed - There is someone absolutely necessary (God)
4. There are almost perfect beings - There is a perfect being (God)
5. There is order in the universe - There is someone that creates order (God and his disciple)

Question 3

Purpose of the law

Answer 3

Law is
- Divine
- natural
- Human

The purpose is to reach perfection. The perfect divine society allows everybody in two the afterlife.

Question 4

The state

Answer 4

The feudal state, where we have the perfect society, which is based on the bible.

The state then achieves the common good, where people can live a perfect life.

The feudal state is governed by and elite, which allows peasants to farm pieces of their land in exchange for loyalty.