PHILO 314 FINALS PAPER – FINAL COPY

ST. AUGUSTINE AND ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ON MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY IS THEOLOGY

In the Medieval period, there were two notable thinkers who addressed the tension between faith
and reason. These were St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. They approached the issue of faith and
reason by attempting to reconcile the two in one’s pursuit of wisdom. St. Augustine attempts to resolve
this issue by treating Philosophy as Christian Theology, while St. Thomas treats Philosophy as Natural
Theology. Each will be discussed in turn.

A.) St. Augustine: Philosophy is Christian Theology.

St. Augustine, in his work entitled “City of God”, gives a presentation of what is Philosophy for him.
In his work, he shows that Philosophy is Christian Theology. This is based on his discussions on the
philosophies of the Pre-Socratics down to Plato.

a.) Chapter 2: Philosophy is the study of the nature of being and existence.

In the second chapter of the eighth book in St. Augustine’s work entitled City of God, he shows a
particular way in which he presents Philosophy. In this chapter, St. Augustine presents Philosophy as the
study of the nature of being and existence. He shows this by his elaborate presentation of the ideas of
the Pre-Socratics.

In this chapter, St. Augustine first discusses the Italic school which had the famous Pythagoras as
the founder. St. Augustine recognizes the contribution of Pythagoras of treating Philosophy as a way to
become better human beings, and a reflective endeavor rather than speculation of things in the world.
St. Augustine recognizes the Pythagoreans depicting Philosophy as a way of life; however, he sets aside
these thinkers, for he was more preoccupied with the Ionic school.

St. Augustine then discussed the Ionic school, which consisted of the famous Pre-Socratics:
Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Diogenes, and Archelaus. Let us first discuss the
concepts made by these thinkers before we see them in relation to the premise.

Thales presented the notion of water as the source of all things in the world. He justifies this
reason with the three states of water to account for the different things in the world, namely, water
being in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state. Indeed, Thales presented a good reason for water being the
origin of the things in the world, but St. Augustine criticizes this thought. This criticism by St. Augustine,
according to the book Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, states that Thales
failed to account the “divine” aspect in the origin of the things in the world. 1 This is quite true, for if
Thales really wanted to consider water as the origin of “all”, then he should have not excluded the
immaterial things, such as the ones that are “divine”. This is the same mistake which Anaximander also

1
Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary,
(USA: Blackwell Publishing), 31.
made in his concept of the “apeiron” or “boundless”. This is because the mere fact that everything in
this world springs forth from an eddy, which produces the different things in the world by a cyclical
process of an alternate dissolution and regeneration, gives the assumption that it excludes the
possibility of a “divine” aspect. It excludes the possibility of something which is “divine” because a
“cycle” presupposes “eternity”. “Eternity” for one thing, has no need for a “creator” for it is capable of
operating without any external principle to govern it.

Anaximenes, who was the student of Anaximander, started the advancement concerning the
problem of the origin of everything in the world. This advancement was his notion of theology, although
it was not explicitly stated in his concept. Anaximenes held the position that the source of all things was
air, and that things were produced by the change of quantity in air. His notion of theology is expressed
by his account of neither denying nor ignoring the existence of gods. The mere fact that Anaximenes did
not debunk the thought of a “divine” thing gives the possibility that he acknowledges the presence of
such, in relation to his concept of air as the first principle. This notion is considered to be an
advancement from the previous thinkers since it does not only resolve the problem of “how” and
“what” the things were made of. Rather, it also provided “why” such things were made, which resolves
the confusion of the additional principles involved in the transformation of things.

This confusion of additional principles can be found in Thales’ account of water as the origin of
things, since water needed to be either exposed to either hotness or coldness for it to change its phase.
This then makes Thales’ water as the “first principle” to be wrong, since it needed other “principles” for
it to change its phase, namely the “principles” of “hotness” and “coldness”. Therefore, Anaximenes, by
indirectly recognizing the “divine” was able to give a solid foundation concerning the origin of things by
providing “why” such things came to be.

The advancement started by Anaximenes was adapted by his successors, Anaxagoras and
Diogenes. Anaxagoras, who claimed earth as the origin of things, gave the explicit recognition of a
“divine” mind to account for the different things that came from the element of earth. Earth, being a
static, stable element, naturally needed another factor which can account for the dynamism required for
the creation of things. The “divine” mind is a necessary factor in this notion. Diogenes, on the other
hand, also recognized the “divine” mind. However, he did not establish a dichotomy between the
“divine” and the material principle. Instead, he considered the material principle and the “divine” as
one. Diogenes held the position that everything came from air, which also had the characteristic of a
“divine” reason that explains the difference in the things in the world.

The last of these thinkers was Anaxagoras’ successor and Socrates’ teacher, Archelaus, who
recognized the notion of a “divine” mind. Archelaus held the position that things consist of
homogeneous particles that were guided by a “divine” mind, which in turn animated all eternal bodies
or those particles, making them alternately united and separated.

The advancement and flow of ideas and concepts of the Pre-Socratics as presented by St.
Augustine paints the picture of the premise concerning Philosophy: that it is a study of the nature of
being and existence. This is depicted by the Ionic School and its founders who focused on speculating
the nature of things and their origin. Their preoccupations on wanting to know what things are made of,
why they are made, and how they came to be implies that their philosophizing aimed at wanting to
know the nature of the things around them, in terms of their properties and their origin.

This said speculation of the nature of things and their origin usually involves something that is
material. In this speculation of the material origins, St. Augustine observed that something “material”
alone cannot account for change or the differences between things. Relying on material principles would
either contradict the principle or disprove it altogether. This gives the implication that St. Augustine was
searching for a part of the study of the nature of being and existence which concerned the divine.

b.) Chapter 3: Philosophy is the study of the correction and regulation of manners.

In the third chapter of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God, he presents to us the
picture of Philosophy in light of his presentation of the Socratic Philosophy. Philosophy, based on this
chapter, is the study of the correction and regulation of manners. St. Augustine shows this in his
presentation of Socratic philosophy and its aim on attaining the “chief good” or summum bonum.

Socrates, in this chapter, focused his thought of the “knowledge of things” towards the
correction and regulation of manners in one’s life. He showed Philosophy as an instrument for
evaluating one’s moral principles in life. This aim by Socrates was unique from his predecessors, who
solely focused on the natural, physical world in their reflection and speculation.

Socrates focused more on how one would pattern his life in pursuit of that “chief good”, which
he believed as a prerequisite to a blessed life. For Socrates, having a blessed life would make it possible
for an individual to have a “purified understanding” of things. This “purified understanding” refers to
enlightenment. This enlightenment points out to a higher understanding of things outside the material
principles. This refers to the understanding and knowledge of a “cause” which gives meaning for one’s
action and existence in this world. This notion of a “cause” in Socrates’ philosophy is identified by St.
Augustine as God. God, being that “cause” which prevents the absurdity in one’s actions and existence,
justifies further the need of a “purified” understanding, since His “pureness” can only be comprehended
and understood by a mind that is “purified”.

However, this notion presented by Socrates concerning Philosophy is criticized by St. Augustine.
This criticism is in terms of the reason why Socrates proposed for such way of treating Philosophy.
According to Gyula Klima, in his book entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with
Commentary, St. Augustine stated that it was not certainly known if Socrates’ purpose for such a
treatment in Philosophy is due to the fact that he is uncertain of some things, and so he wished to invest
himself into something which can provide him with certainty; or that he was aiming to develop in men
some kind of a “purified understanding” which lets them see the causes of all created natures, that is
said to be incorporeal and unchangeable 2.
2
Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary,
(USA: Blackwell Publishing), 32.
 Although Socrates’ origin of this new movement in Philosophy has uncertain reasons, it cannot
be denied that the common point of these identified reasons concerns the examination of the
foundation of one’s knowledge about things. These “knowledge about things” covers all the categories
of one’s attained knowledge, including the way one lives his life. This is assumed to be what is called the
“chief good” or summum bonum, which is said to be able to make a man’s life blessed. The chief good
is something which should be man’s greatest or highest purpose in life.

Concerning this notion, St. Augustine gives another critique on Socrates’ philosophy. His critique
revolved around the idea that although Socrates directed the effort of Philosophy in this “chief good”,
he never arrived at a conviction regarding this “chief good”. This then brings about the problem of how
his disciples like Aristippus and Antisthenes interpreted his thoughts. The former thought of the chief
good as pleasure while the latter, as virtue. Socrates died leaving a vague concept on the “chief good.”
But it has to be noted that Socrates had shown efforts on understanding morals in the light of something
divine. However, he was not able to fully articulate this when he was alive.

St. Augustine’s critiques showed that Philosophy, indeed, is the study of the correction and the
regulation of manners. This is seen in the way he evaluated the aims and reasons of Socratic philosophy
in directing its efforts towards the “chief good”. St. Augustine also presented some strength and
weakness of Socratic Philosophy. The strength concerned on the aim of Socratic philosophy to correct
and regulate manners through good morals. However, Socrates was quite confused on such on the basis
that such was uncertain as good morals relate to eternal things and requires a purified mind. Socrates
was unwilling to delve into this. Thus, he shifted his thoughts towards something manifest and certain.
This shift led to the weakness of his philosophy, as it had not resolved the issue of what is really the
“chief good.” Thus, because of this, his disciples had varied interpretations of his thoughts.

c.) Chapter 4: Philosophy is the study of wisdom in action and contemplation.

In the fourth chapter of the eighth book in St. Augustine’s City of God, he presents that
Philosophy is the study of wisdom in action and contemplation. This is shown in St. Augustine’s
discussion of Plato’s threefold division of Philosophy and his evaluation of Plato. In this threefold
division, St. Augustine distinguishes the goals that can be met in studying such divisions, and the
implications which support the main premise of philosophy as a study of wisdom in action and
contemplation.

In his discussion of Plato’s philosophy, St. Augustine recognized the contribution of Plato. This
significant contribution refers to Plato’s refining the philosophies established by his predecessors,
namely, Pythagoras and Socrates, by synthesizing them. St. Augustine showed that for Plato, the study
of wisdom both constitutes action and contemplation. “Action” in this sense refers to the moral part of
the study of wisdom (as presented by his master, Socrates), while “contemplation” refers to the
reflective and rational part of Plato’s Philosophy (as presented by the Pythagoreans).

Furthermore, St. Augustine noted that Plato gave three divisions to his philosophy namely,
moral, natural, and rational. The moral part of Philosophy which St. Augustine ascribes to action, the
natural he ascribed to contemplation, and the rational in which he ascribed to discriminate truth and
falsity. In this sense, one can see that Philosophy leads the individual into particular goals, with respect
to the three divisions. In searching for wisdom therefore, one is led to know the end of all actions
(moral), the cause of all natures (natural), and the light of all intelligences (rational).

Being an “end” of the things one does, a “cause” of the events around an individual, and a
“light” which gives illumination to one’s mind cannot be fulfilled by a mortal or human being. This
proves to be true, say, if one chooses to help the victims of calamity in relief operations. This individual
does not fulfill such moral action just because of the victims, but rather it is for a higher purpose or
“end”. Based on the example, this end is not attributed to human person but rather to a higher being,
which is God. The same line of thought can be connected when one takes in the terms of a “cause” or a
“light”. It is in this sense that one understands that “active” part of Plato’s philosophy.

In man’s search for wisdom, an individual partakes into a journey of understanding and knowing
the very natures attributed to a divine being, which is assumed to be God. These natures are implied in
the search for the “cause”, “end”, and “light” which cannot be attributed to something finite, material,
or human. This further implies that what one gains in the search for wisdom, like further knowledge and
deeper understanding of things, is directed into the understanding of the ultimate “cause” of all natures,
“end” of all actions, and “light” of all intelligences which is God. It is in these that one understands the
“contemplative” part of Plato’s philosophy.

From these, Plato showed Philosophy as an intellectual and moral discipline for an individual.
Plato was emphatic in saying that being intellectual or moral alone could not make an individual realize
the “cause”, “end”, and “light” that makes one’s existence and intellectual endeavors sensible. Based
on this, wisdom then can be drawn out from both moral and rational aspects of philosophizing. Not
recognizing the moral and rational aspects of philosophizing would prevent one from enlightenment. It
is in the recognition of the two that one can establish the fundamental foundation for his actions, his
knowledge of the things around him, and his existence.

St. Augustine, in his presentation of the Platonic philosophy, showed that Philosophy is a study
of wisdom in action and contemplation. He showed that considering both the moral and rational aspects
in philosophizing would establish certainty and consistency needed in the search for truth. It is in such
that an individual makes sensible actions and have a clear understanding of the world and his very
existence. Without this realization, an individual’s life would just be mere absurdity.

St. Augustine recognizes this emphasis of Plato, and attributes it to the notion of God, to which
he ascribed all the cause of all natures, the end of all actions, and the light of all intelligences that could
make an individual wise and moral in action and in thought.

d.) Chapter 5: Philosophy is the study of the nature of God through reason.
 In the fifth chapter of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God, what can be of note is St.
Augustine’s consideration that Philosophy is the study of the nature of God through reason. This he
meaningfully discussed by considering the Platonists as the more preferred persons who can help one in
knowing and understanding matters concerning theology.

In the first part of the fifth chapter, St. Augustine presents the mythical and civil theologies as
inadequate references for studying the nature of God. This is because these theologies miss the point of
the real nature of God. In fabulous theology, what is presented is the kind of gods found in Roman and
Greek mythology that act in an immoral manner. This immorality is found in their involvement in human
affairs, like the promiscuity of Zeus or their taking of sides during wars. In civil theologies, the
inadequacy of such study taught one about gods as only “divinized” humans. These theologies for St.
Augustine are not useful in trying to know more about the nature of God. This is because they had
misconceptions of the divine, like being immoral and “human”. In other words, these theologies, point
out to a “wrong” god. Another point is that these theologies highlight the idea of a “material” kind of
god, which can be observed in the preoccupation of the Greek and Roman gods to the “material” world
of men, and in the divination of humans into gods.

It is in these that St. Augustine gives primacy to the “philosophical theology” that the Platonists
emphasized in their philosophy. This is because unlike the mythical and the civil theologies, they
justified the idea of the divine as possessing both immateriality and morality. In this sense, for St.
Augustine, the Platonists have recognized the “true God” as the author of all things, the source of the
light of truth, and the giver of blessedness. Considering these characteristics of a “true” God, one can
assume that this is a kind of God that is spiritual in nature, since being the “author”, the “source”, and
the “giver” would be beyond the bounds of materiality. Relying in material principles can lead an
individual into self-contradiction, like the mistake of the Pre-Socratics in their philosophies. St.
Augustine stated that the mistake of the Pre-Socratics revolved around the illogical contention of
explaining immateriality based on material principles.

Since God is “spiritual” in nature, relying on the sensible things and material principles alone
cannot lead one to understanding the truth of the nature of this divine being. This implies that
rationality can lead one more to the knowledge and truth about God. This is because anything which is
“spiritual” is immaterial, thus cannot be perceived by the senses. It is only in rationality that one can
recognize and understand this “spiritual” Being, recognized by St. Augustine as God. In using rationality
to understand and know God, one does not contradict himself in his understanding of the world. One is
led to the truth of God through his reason. This is because reason aids one to evaluate what he sees and
experiences. He analyses, compares, contrasts, and synthesizes realities and experiences. Reason guides
an individual to the truth about the nature of God.

In this chapter, St. Augustine, presents Philosophy as the study of the nature of God through
reason. He shows this in his discussion of the theologies during his time such as philosophical theology,
fabulous theology, and civil theology. In these theologies, St. Augustine sees the philosophical theology
provided by the Platonists to be adequate in trying to understand and know the nature of God. This is
because this philosophical theology provided a rational foundation in one’s faith, which involved the
“spiritual” and “immaterial” nature of God. St. Augustine then shows reason as an adequate tool for an
individual to understand better the nature of God.

e.) Chapter 9,10,11: Philosophy is the study of the divine truths.

In the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God,
Philosophy is considered as the study of the divine truths. This thought he discussed by elaborating on
why the Platonists and their philosophy should be considered right in the pursuit of understanding the
divine truths, especially the truths about God. These “divine” truths centered on God as the cause of
everything, the Unchanging light for truth to be discovered, and the path for the enjoyment of a blessed
life.

St. Augustine points out that only when knowledge includes the nature of God that one can
consider it as true knowledge. In this context, Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in the eighth book of St.
Augustine’s ‘City of God’, stressed three important points, namely, Plato’s philosophy as nearest to
Christian faith, the primacy of Christian religion, and how Plato approaches nearly to Christian
knowledge.

In Chapter 9, St. Augustine singles out Plato’s philosophy as nearest to Christian faith as it
concerns on the Unchanging nature of the Supreme God, the cause of everything. Those other
philosophers who mainly concern their writings on the sciences of the visibility of things are in
disagreement with the Christian faith. Because of this, St. Augustine preferred the Platonists and not the
others for their thoughts are in line with Christianity.

According to Gyula Klima’s book entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with
Commentary, for St. Augustine, the Platonic philosophers or the philosophers who have the same line of
thought as them entertained the idea of a God which had a similar description with the Christian notion
of God: the maker of all things, and the good in reference to which things are to be done; that one has in
Him the first principle of nature, the truth of doctrine, and the happiness in life 3. This notion of a God
can be found in Plato’s concept of immateriality which he considers to enshrine the fundamental truth
of the “first principle” or the “Unchanging Cause” of all things. This he implies that the materiality
present in visible things is not the truth but only clues for the truth present in immaterial and
incorruptible things. While other philosophers busied themselves in discovering the truth of the visible
things, the Platonists, on the other hand, rest their knowledge of truth in a Divine One, the source of
everything.

In Chapter 10, St. Augustine emphasizes that the Christian religion supersedes all the science of
philosophers. As stated in Gyula Klima’s book, Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with
Commentary, by knowing God, one can already find the cause of all things, the light which truth is

3
Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary,
(USA: Blackwell Publications), 38.
discovered, and the source of happiness in one’s life 4. His strong claim on this is evident in his
description of a Christian man who is not ignorant of the usual vanities and the sciences of other
philosophers. He believes that such man cannot be deceived as he is warned by the precepts of the
apostles. Though such man is not an expert of any philosophy or school of philosophy, the grace that
comes from a belief of a true Supreme God can save him from falling into ignorance when he
encounters the teachings of other philosophers. His knowledge on the Scriptures or ecclesiastical
literature in Christian faith directs him to cling to the truth of the nature of God, and out of a deep
understanding of it realizes a blessed life and lives out this life. The Christian man therefore, has the
advantage of being able to act out the truth he discovered about God because he understands this
truth, thus preventing the possibility of self-contradiction, to which the previous materialist thinkers
were guilty of.

In Chapter 11, St. Augustine stresses on some suppositions that could have influenced Plato and
his notions of a God who is unchangeable. Firstly, it not possible that Plato met prophet Jeremiah and
read prophetic scriptures not written in Greek. A careful calculation of dates would reveal that Plato
was born a hundred years after Jeremiah. This only meant that Plato neither met Jeremiah, nor read
scriptural writings.

Lastly, based on the first assertion, Plato, being an earnest knower and philosopher, learned
about the prophetic scriptures through an interpreter. When he wrote about an Unchanging God, the
cause of all things, he might have read and learned Genesis and other scriptural writings on creation. He
might also knew or read something on the scriptures a conversation of Moses to an angel. By such
reading, Plato might have understood the Unchanging nature of God in the part when the angel told
Moses what God would like him to say to the people of Israel. The word of God conveyed to Moses by
an angel goes like this: “I am who am; and thou shall say to the children of Israel, He who is sent me to
you.”

However, even if Plato indeed was able to get close to the divine truths in his philosophizing, he
still fell short to Christian knowledge. This is because he was unable to apply these realized truths in his
life because of him being a pagan. This brings him into a position of self-contradiction, since he is not
living out the knowledge that he knows. Even if this is the case, St. Augustine still recognizes the efforts
of Plato in being able to provide the foundations that are essential in Christian philosophy. It can be
observed then, that the philosophical endeavors made by Plato all aimed at the discovery of divine
truths that point out to God. This proves that St. Augustine’s presentation of Plato’s philosophy points
out the idea that the search for truth must lead one towards God. And that truth about God must be
lived.

Based on the discussions of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of the eighth book of the
“City of God,” St. Augustine emphasized that Philosophy is the study of the divine truths. In other
4
Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary,
(USA: Blackwell Publications), 40.
words, Philosophy essentially and ultimately concerns on the truths concerning God as the cause of
everything, the Unchanging light for truth to be discovered, and the path for the enjoyment of a blessed
life. In these chapters, St. Augustine explained that the search for wisdom must consist in the
consideration of a divine being which can free an individual from confusion, absurdity, and contradiction
in his actions.

f.) Conclusion for St. Augustine

In the discussions of St. Augustine in the City of God, he presents that Philosophy is Christian
theology. This notion is justified by the two main thoughts emphasized by the chapters presented. The
first thought is about Philosophy being concerned with understanding and knowing God. The second
thought is about Philosophy as not only a purely intellectual study but also something consisting in
action. Before we go over these notions in relation to the premise, let us first clarify the way Christian
theology must be understood.

According to H. Orton Wiley, Christian Theology is defined as the branch of theological science
which aims to set a systematic manner the doctrines of Christian faith. 5 Relating this to what St.
Augustine has explained in the chapters, he, indeed, presented the doctrines of Christian faith in a
systematic manner. This systematic manner is found in his use of rationality or reason in evaluating
one’s faith and idea about God.

The first thought states St. Augustine emphasizing the idea that Philosophy should essentially and
ultimately concern itself with understanding and knowing God. The search for wisdom is not complete
without understanding the “cause”, “source”, and “end” of all things. Otherwise, one falls into
contradiction, inconsistency, and confusion in his life. This is the problem which St. Augustine attributes
to the material thinkers, who contradict their explanation of everything in the material sense even
though they were thinking of an “immaterial” principle. Christian theology centers on the primacy of
God, the Unchanging cause of all things, the foundation of knowledge, the light of truth and the core of
one’s life. It builds on rationality and sustains faith through the knowledge of the Divine. Faith and
reason are significant complements in the search for God.

The second thought emphasized Philosophy as something lived and not just merely an intellectual
activity. St. Augustine thought of Plato falling short to Christian knowledge due to his inability to be
consistent with what he learned in his actions. St. Augustine thinks that true wisdom lies in being
consistent with what one thinks and does. In this manner, an individual is spared from contradicting
himself and being confused. The notion of Christian theology can be observed in the consistency St.
Augustine emphasizes through his example of a Christian man living his faith and being nourished by it.
That is why, he is never ignorant.

St. Augustine’s consideration of Philosophy as the study of the nature of being and existence, the
correction and regulation of manners, of wisdom through action and contemplation, of the nature of
God discovered through reason, and about the divine truths that encapsulate all other kinds of truth and
5
H. Orton Wiley, “The Nature and Scope of Theology”, accessed October 6, 2015, http://wesley.nnu.edu/other-
theologians/henry-orton-wiley/h-orton-wiley-christian-theology-chapter-1/.
knowledge, all refer to a Christian way of philosophizing about the nature of God. This is observed in his
frequent emphasis on the search for wisdom that ultimately leads one to knowing God. This objective of
wanting to know God in a systematic, rational way is a fundamental characteristic found in the Christian
sense of theology, to which St. Augustine clearly demonstrates in his presentation of Philosophy.

B.) St. Thomas Aquinas: Philosophy is Natural Theology.

In the first part in St. Thomas’ Summa Theologiae, he addresses the first question which concerns
about the nature and extent of sacred doctrine. The point of inquiry concerns the idea if any further
doctrine is required other than Philosophy.

a.) Objection 1: Philosophy is the study of what is within reason.

The point of inquiry which St. Thomas first considers would be the notion if other than
Philosophy, any further doctrine is required. In this first point lies a first objection, to which it shows
that Philosophy is the study of what is within reason.

The first thing that should be considered in this objection is that Philosophy is seen as a rational
discipline. It is seen as a study which concerns anything that can be perceived by an individual using his
reason. In this objection, it showed that the search for truth should be only within reason, because
anything which is out of the bounds of reason would be unintelligible in the first place. This meant that
any study which would concern anything unintelligible would be worthless, since it cannot be conceived
by the individual. It even points out an absurdity lying in the idea of studying anything beyond the
bounds of reason. As the objection states in Gyula Klima’s book, Medieval Philosophy: Essential
Readings with Commentary: ‘Man should not seek to know what is beyond reason.’ 6 Wanting to know
that which is beyond the bounds of reason is absurdity in itself, because it is seeking something that is
not attainable in the first place. What is beyond reason, therefore, is not part of the search for wisdom,
since there is no wisdom that can be found in anything unintelligible.

Based on this objection, Philosophy is considered as the study of what is within reason. This is
emphasized in the objection placing the pursuit of knowledge in the foundation of what can be known
by one’s rationality. In other words, Philosophy is limited within the individual’s faculty to know.

b.) Objection 2: Philosophy is the study of being.

The first point of inquiry has a second objection. It showed that Philosophy is the study of being.
The crucial term in this supposition is the word “being”. This is why before anything is to be said about
Philosophy, it is only necessary to clarify what is the meaning of “being”.

In this objection, “being”, refers to anything that is empirically established. In other words, this
“being” is a reality that can be supported by experience. This means that wisdom and knowledge can
only be possible in “being”, for it can be perceived by the mind and can be proven by one’s experience.
6
Gyula Klima, “Thomas Aquinas on the Nature and Scope of Sacred Doctrine”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential
Readings with Commentary, (USA: Blackwell Publications), 45.
This meant that having experience as a proof constitutes this “being” as something “real”, conceivable,
and attainable. The “being” having the nature of reality makes it possible for man to conceive of it and
attain it. This implies that “being” is something “true” and “real”.

On this objection, it showed that Philosophy concerns on this “being”. This idea encompasses
all that can be identified under this concept of “being”, including God Himself, saying that a part of
philosophy called theology or divine science already covered this. This assumption is based from the
proof provided by Aristotle in the sixth chapter of his Metaphysics. The search of truth and wisdom then
could only be found in aiming that which is true and real.

The implication of Philosophy in its study of “being”, (including God), is that it is unlimited, for it
takes up all that can be known. God then, is considered in this objection as a truth and a reality. Since
God is included in that category of “being” which is defined as true and real, He can be known. He can
be known by reason. Since Philosophy is concerned with being, God can be known through Philosophy.
It is in this idea that the objection showed Philosophy as a study of being. This brings up the idea that
there is no need of other disciplines besides Philosophy, because it already covered everything that can
be known by reason, including a transcendent being such as God. Seeking another discipline would only
be superfluous.

c.) Contrary Position: Philosophy is the approximation of theology.

In the first point of inquiry, there also lies a contrary position. This position favors the contrary
of the objections. Instead of proposing Philosophy as the only discipline, it claims the contrary. In this
position, it shows that Philosophy is the approximation of theology.

In this contrary position, the idea of Philosophy as a study which concerns itself within the
bounds of human reason is recognized. However, this fixation to only what reason can take up makes it
so far as an approximation, in terms of understanding the nature of God. This is because the aid for one
to fully understand God relies on sacred scriptures, which is described to be not within the range of
Philosophy. 7 This is because sacred scriptures are better known by divine revelation, which does not
treat reason as necessary.

Another point to consider is that between reason and divine revelation associated with sacred
scripture, divine revelation is said to be more profitable than reason alone. Divine revelation is more
profitable for it provides the awareness of God. It makes man aware of his endeavors to be directed to
this God. This assumption is observed to be more of a conviction rooted in faith rather than reason. This
can be found in an individual’s study of the sacred scriptures and not on the bounds of reason alone.

The idea of Philosophy as the approximation of theology is observed in the notion that
Philosophy can only give concrete concepts about God, but it can never say anything about its relation
to man’s life. Reason can only approximate the nature of God with its concepts, but it can never fully
understand and fully know the nature of this God. It is only in divine revelation found in sacred

7
Gyula Klima, “Thomas Aquinas on the Nature and Scope of Sacred Doctrine”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential
Readings with Commentary, (USA: Blackwell Publications), 46.
scriptures that the full understanding of God can be found, which is said to be beyond the bounds of
reason.

d.) I – Answer: Philosophy is the study of divine purpose within reason.

In this first point of inquiry, after identifying the objections and the contrary position, St. Thomas
then gives his answer. This first part of his answer shows that Philosophy is the study of divine purpose
within reason.

St. Thomas recognizes the point of the first objection that Philosophy concerns itself with what
can be comprehended by human reason. This proved to be true, for anything beyond reason would be
unattainable and unthinkable in the first place. However, recognizing the idea of the contrary position,
St. Thomas argues that this problem concerning matters beyond reason, such as the realization of man
as directed to God, could be resolved by divine revelation. In this notion, St. Thomas emphasized that
Philosophy can only extend so much in exhausting reason to comprehend matters such as divine
purpose or man’s “direction” towards God. In other words, St. Thomas does not deny the usefulness of
reason altogether. He recognizes the importance of it in so far as it provides the intellectual concepts
needed for clarity and understanding of something. But that is all there is to it.

St. Thomas implies that if reason is exhausted, what is needed would be the support given by
divine revelation. This is what he presupposes in the matter concerning man’s “direction” to God. This
“direction” to God is aptly described as “salvation”, to which happiness and fulfillment is attributed.
Happiness and fulfillment cannot be grasped by reason but by divine revelation. The path to salvation
then can only be understood by divine revelation. No rational concept can ever capture the full meaning
of man’s direction to God.

The notion of Philosophy being the study of divine purpose within reason is observed in St.
Thomas’ recognition of Philosophy being able to bring to light important concepts that can be good
starting points for a man of faith. This implies that man’s purpose as being directed to God can be partly
comprehended and understood by the rational concepts of the mind. However, St. Thomas notes that
this does not give the full knowledge and understanding of this “direction” to God or man’s divine
purpose. Rather, the full extent of this understanding and knowledge can be realized through the divine
revelation. Though reason gives the fundamental concepts for comprehending one’s direction to God, it
does not reveal any meaning to him. It does not lead him to happiness and fulfillment. It merely gives
him a picture of it, but it does not reveal to him his relation to it. This is the reason why St. Thomas gives
importance to divine revelation, for it fills up the gap between one’s self and his understanding.

Concerning man’s direction towards God, divine revelation shows to him the meaning of it. It
shows to him his relation to God as the source of fulfillment and happiness. This idea, St. Thomas saw as
something beyond what reason can reach.

e.) II – Answer: Philosophy is the study of the truth about God within reason.
 After identifying the objections and the contrary position, St. Thomas then gives the second
part of his answer. This second part of his answer shows that Philosophy is the study of the truth about
God within reason.

St. Thomas recognizes the point of the second objection that Philosophy takes up all that can be
known, even God Himself. This is because there is a part of Philosophy that deals with this, namely
theology. He also recognizes the contrary position which gave the idea that the sacred scriptures are
the worthy references in knowing the truths about God. In other words, if an individual wishes to know
the truths about God, he must either know Philosophy or the sacred scriptures.

However, St. Thomas gives more primacy to sacred scriptures over Philosophy. This is because
St. Thomas thinks that not all men can be capable of knowing philosophically. It is also possible that
there is a variation among the knowledge of every individual, which gives rise to obscurity and confusion
in concepts. This is the problem that St. Thomas observes in solely taking Philosophy in one’s endeavor
to know the truth about God. This is because rationality is something which varies among individuals. In
the attempt to understand the truths of God through reason, only few will be able to understand and
know. What is worse is that this understanding is only partial and prone to error.

Sacred scripture, on the other hand, can be available to all men, no matter how much
knowledge he is capable of comprehending. It offers unlimited possibilities. This is because sacred
scripture relies more on the faith of the individual rather than his faculty of reason regarding the truths
about God.

The quality of sacred scriptures being available to all men of different levels of comprehension is
profitable in terms of man’s direction to salvation. This direction of man, as previously stated, is towards
God because it is only in Him that happiness and fulfillment can be attained. Happiness and fulfillment
are the things that can lead one to salvation. This notion of man being directed to God is a truth found
in the sacred scriptures. This only means that in considering the sacred scriptures, every individual has
the chance towards happiness and fulfillment. Happiness and fulfillment cannot be realized solely
through philosophy or only within reason.

In other words, Philosophy only gives one some knowledge of the divine. However, the
realization of the fruition of that knowledge comes through faith. For one thing, relying on concepts
would not be enough in establishing the truth and certainty in matters such as God. This is because the
conviction in proclaiming the truth and certainty about the nature of God implies more of an effect of
divine revelation rather than a product of a rational endeavor. This connotes faith. Therefore, even with
the rational concepts posed by Philosophy concerning God, there is still a need for divine revelation.

St. Thomas then, presents Philosophy as a study of the truth of God within reason. This is clear
in his discussion of Philosophy as only covering the truths about God which reason can discover. The
notion of salvation and the nature of God are all subjects that can be comprehended by reason. This is
because these are concrete concepts that are comprehensible. St. Thomas accepts the notion that
Philosophy can give “partial” ideas about the truths of God. However, if an individual desires to “fully”
know the truths about God, then he should prefer divine revelation found in the sacred scriptures.
Philosophy can only lead one to the extent of intellectual understanding, but this can be subject to
errors and many interpretations. St. Thomas points out to essence of divine revelation, where every
individual has a chance towards attaining salvation with certainty.

f.) Conclusion for St. Thomas Aquinas

In the discussion of St. Thomas Aquinas, implicitly, Philosophy is natural theology. This is what he
showed in the first point of inquiry which concerned about the idea of having other disciplines other
than Philosophy. “Natural theology” is defined as a study which attempts to prove the existence of God
and divine purpose through observation and use of human reason. 8 In other words, the study of the
nature of God is done using human reason and observation. What is meant then by the premise of St.
Thomas is that the search for truth and wisdom concerning God partly consists in what can be known by
reason. This notion can be observed in St. Thomas recognizing the value of human reason in
understanding the nature of God.

Reason is man’s faculty to know, discover, analyze, understand, things and realities. It can lead him
to become wise. Philosophy aids human beings to understand definitions and concepts of salvation and
being. But it takes more than philosophy to understand God and human salvation. Philosophy raises
reason to a higher level as faculty of man to learn and live his purpose. But faith gives man’s purpose its
ultimate meaning: salvation. This salvation is God. But this needs faith in order for this notion of
“salvation” to be understood and lived.

Therefore, for St. Thomas, it requires faith to know God and love Him deeply. Faith is boundless.
It is beyond reason. Each one essentially or necessarily needs Divine revelation to fill the gap left by the
limitation of reason especially concerning the nature of God. Philosophy then will remain as natural
theology. This is because reason only serves as important starting point in understanding the nature of
God and the truths about Him. Divine revelation through the exercise of faith is the ultimate source to
understand God and connect God to man’s purpose.

Philosophy leads one to know God. But God cannot be contained in philosophy. He is boundless.
Man’s purpose in life is not just knowing things and knowing about God. There is something more
profound and more lasting in life. It is living God within. But this cannot be realized either through
reason alone or through prolific philosophies. Both are limited. The ultimate purpose of man is to
understand divine revelation, to understand God, and to truly live such understanding of God in order
that he can leap into the authentic happiness or fulfillment through the exercise of faith. This leap is
called salvation, the essence of man’s search for knowledge of the profound.

C.) Medieval Philosophers: Philosophy is Theology

8
“What Is Natural Theology?”, accessed October 7, 2015 , http://www.giffordlectures.org/overview/natural-
theology.
 St. Augustine and St. Thomas presented philosophy as a Christian theology and natural theology,
respectively. Both thinkers are commonly grounded on the divine as they focused on theology. This is
emphasized in their study of wisdom that consists in understanding God. St. Augustine is known to be
associated with Christian theology and St. Thomas Aquinas with natural theology.

St. Augustine and St. Thomas pushed for a kind of Philosophy which directs ultimately to knowing
God. For them, not aiming at understanding God would bring about absurdity and confusion in one’s
life. A Philosophy which concerns with merely material principles is bound to self-contradiction and
inconsistency. For St. Augustine, the materialist philosophers were self-contradictory and inconsistent
about their explanations of the origin of the world. This is because they considered the “immaterial” as
they spoke about the material principles governing the world. This caused the failure of the materialist
philosophers to understand the world better. Nonetheless, they were instrumental in sowing confusion
and obscurity.

Having a philosophy which aimed at understanding and knowing God leads one to clarity and
prevents self-contradiction. This gives a person the foundation for his action and understanding of
things in life. It makes life more sensible and more meaningful. Philosophy that is necessarily directed
to God spells out St. Augustine’s treatment of it as a Christian theology.

St. Augustine considers reason and philosophy as paths to knowing and understanding the divine
revelation. As he explained this through the example of a Christian man, he emphasized that any
reasoning or philosophizing cannot lead one to happiness or fulfillment if such is not ultimately directed
to the divine revelation or God. Any earthly or scientific knowledge is subordinate to the knowledge of
the divine. But all knowledge is ultimately towards the discovery of the divine. When one discovers the
divine through his knowledge of the earthly and material existence, he finds God.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas treats reason and philosophy as significant paths to knowing things and
God. This particular characteristic of him implies his being a naturalist theologian. But God is not just to
be known and understood philosophically or by reason alone. Philosophy cannot contain God. God is
meant to be lived within us. Thus, beyond philosophy and reason, every man should know divine
revelation by faith. No one and nothing can contain God and His revelation. It is through the eyes of
faith that one sees God. The purpose of man’s search for knowledge and truths is not just fulfillment or
happiness but salvation.

In conclusion, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas are two medieval philosophers whose profound
understanding of knowledge and wisdom rests in the ultimate necessity and supremacy of the divine
revelation. However, each has his unique ways of leading anyone to understanding of their philosophy
and theology. The former emphasizes reason and philosophy as ways towards knowing the Divine or
God. When man reaches the realm of the Divine through the knowledge of the realm of the world, he is
fulfilled and happy. He fulfills his life’s purpose. He succeeded in raising into the level of the sacred his
knowledge of the world around him.
 The latter emphasizes that divine revelation cannot be known just by reason and philosophy,
but it is known by faith. Beyond man’s purpose to attain happiness and fulfillment, he needs to
understand divine revelation and God through faith in order to be saved.

D. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Klima, Gyula, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with
Commentary, (USA: Blackwell Publishing), 31.
2. Klima, “Augustine”, 32.
3. Klima, “Augustine”, 38.
4. Klima,“Augustine”, 40.
5. Wiley, H. Orton, “The Nature and Scope of Theology”, accessed October 6, 2015,
http://wesley.nnu.edu/other-theologians/henry-orton-wiley/h-orton-wiley-christian-theology-
chapter-1/.
6. Klima, Gyula, “Thomas Aquinas on the Nature and Scope of Sacred Doctrine”, In Medieval
Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, (USA: Blackwell Publications), 45.
7. Klima, “Thomas Aquinas”, 46.
8. “What Is Natural Theology?”, accessed October 7, 2015 ,
http://www.giffordlectures.org/overview/natural-theology.

Paper by: Venice Belle R. Dafielmoto