St.

Thomas Aquinas & His

Philosophy of Person

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

Head—Batangas Heritage Center
University of Batangas
 Philosophy and theology played
complementary roles in the human
person’s quest for truth.

All knowledge originate in sensation, but

sense data can be made intelligible only
by the action of the intellect.

To reach understanding of the highest

St. Thomas truths, those with which religion is
(1225-1274 CE) concerned, the aid of revelation is
needed. This is Aquinas’ moderate
realism
 Moderate Realism places universals
firmly in the mind in opposition to
extreme realism, which posited these
universals as independent of human
thought.
It was necessary for the salvation of man
that certain truths which exceed human
reason should be made known to him by
Divine Revelation.

St. Thomas
(1225-1274 CE) Man is capable of knowing the nature of
God in this life because our knowledge is
limited by its origin in sense-experience.
 The divine reality is far above the
capability of human understanding.

It is natural for man to search for his

origin and link himself with a Creator;
hence, the Quinque Viae.
St. Thomas
(1225-1274 CE)
The First Way begins
with the sense The third way is taken
experience of motion from possibility and
or change in the necessity.
universe. It upholds
the principle: omne
autem quod movetur,
ab alio movetur.
The fourth way is taken
The second way is St. Thomas from the gradation of
from the nature of THE FIVE WAYS perfection to be found in
the Efficient Cause. things.

The fifth way is taken from the governance

of the world.
 The given proof of Good and wise in God
God’s existence does and man are not
not exactly tell us equivocal nor
positively what God is. univocal terms. They
are analogous terms.

The imperfect
goodness and wisdom Goodness and
of man may be taken St. Thomas wisdom may be
to represent or mirror GOD’S RELATIONSHIP found in man but
the perfection of these it will be found in
WITH MAN
qualities in God. a perfect
manner in God.

God’s purpose in creation is to

communicate His perfection, which is His
goodness, to the world.
The universe contains Suffering and death
both the corruptible occur not because
and the incorruptible God wills these evil
entities. as such.

Both happiness and Evil exist because of

pain, life and death
would exist
St. Thomas the privations
inherent and
GOD’S RELATIONSHIP
simultaneously with unavoidable in
WITH MAN
one another. creatures of different
grades of goodness.

Why did God not create a better

world instead?
The universe contains Suffering and death
both the corruptible occur not because
and the incorruptible God wills these evil
entities. as such.

Both happiness and

pain, life and death Evil exist
would exist St. Thomas because of the
privations
simultaneously with GOD’S RELATIONSHIP
one another. inherent and
WITH MAN
unavoidable in
creatures of
different grades
of goodness.
Why did God not create a better
world instead?
God’s work of creation Should God have
is not something that created another
He would want us to universe instead of
know. this one, that
universe would still
be created out of the
What we can only goodness of God.
know is that God
created the universe St. Thomas How is God
because of his GOD’S RELATIONSHIP related with His
goodness. WITH MAN own creatures?

God does not have a relation with

His creatures.
 God’s existence does
not have any reference
whatsoever to the The creatures would
existence of His have a real relation to
creatures simply God because were it
because God is a not for God, the
Necessary Being. His creatures would not
essence is His own
St. Thomas exist.
GOD’S RELATIONSHIP
existence.
WITH MAN

The moral end of a person is not

simply a natural end towards which
he, by nature, tends.
 Synderesis is the
Man is created
intellectual habit or
endowed with
disposition by which
goodness. He yearns
man, in given
for goodness because
situations, is in
of his synderesis and
possession of the
conscience.
fundamental
St. Thomas principles of morality.
GOD’S RELATIONSHIP
WITH MAN

The fundamental principles of morality: DO

GOOD AND AVOID EVIL.
 Doing evil is not in
accordance with the
real nature of man. If man goes against
his nature of
goodness, then he is
Moral law is the going against the
dictate of the voice of moral law.
reason.
St. Thomas
GOD’S RELATIONSHIP
WITH MAN

The dictate of reason is expressed in

the moral principle: “the good must
be done and evil must be avoided.”
 To know whether we
Man will know that a
are acting rightly or
particular act is good if
wrongly, we must see
it is in accordance with
to it that we are
the human nature.
following the voice of
reason.
Conscience will
serve as the
St. Thomas Man is the
THE NATURAL proximate norm of
natural guide in
INCLINATIONS OF MAN morality.
making moral
decision.

Man has 3 natural inclinations:

1. self-preservation;
2. Just dealings with others;
3. Propagation of species.
 Man’s ultimate
happiness consists in
contemplating God and
not in goodness of the Man’s ultimate
body. happiness consists
only in wisdom and not
Man should always be in any other sciences.
aware of the morality
of his action. St. Thomas
THE THREE
DETERMINANTS OF
MORAL ACT
3 Factors that can help determine whether our action is moral or
not:
1. Finis operas—that to which the act tends before all else.
2. Circumstantiae– the condition which will certainly affect
its morality.
3. Finis operantis—the intention of the agent.
A good act with a bad Human acts are good
motive makes the if they promote the
moral action bad. purpose of God and
His honor.
St. Thomas
THE THREE
DETERMINANTS OF
MORAL ACT An act is
A person may not considered evil if it
employ an evil means deviates from the
in order to attain a reason and the
good end. divine moral law.
St. Thomas follows the
principle: agree
sequitur esse. Principle of Double
Effect: a good effect
and an evil effect will
The rationality of man result from a good
makes him responsible cause
for the effects of his St. Thomas
action. THE MORAL PRINCIPLES AS
BASIS OF HUMAN ACTION
4 principles of Double Effect:
1. The action directly intended must be good
or at least morally indifferent;
2. The good effect must follow from the action
at least as immediately as the evil effect;
3. The foreseen evil effect may not be
intended but merely permitted to occur;
4. There must be a sufficient reason for
allowing evil to occur.
Principle of Totality Principle of
—the right to cut Stewardship—
off or mutilate a human life comes
certain part of the from God and no
body for the good individual is the
of the whole. master of his own
St. Thomas body.
THE MORAL PRINCIPLES AS
BASIS OF HUMAN ACTION

Principle of Sexuality
Principle of Inviolability
and Procreation—this
of Life—Life is God’s and
underscores the two-
has been loaned to us;
fold purpose of sexual
hence, it is inviolable
union: unitas et
and sacred.
procreatio.
 4. Right to Physical
1. Right to Life Freedom or Personal
Liberty

St. Thomas
6 NATURAL RIGHTS
2. Right to Private
5. Right to Worship
Property

3. Right to Marry 6. Right to Work

 1. Duty to Keep
4. Duty to Respect
Healthy and Take Care
Private Boundaries
of One’s Self

2. Duty to Take Care of

One’s Property and
St. Thomas 5. Duty for Religious
6 NATURAL DUTIES Tolerance
Respect Other’s
Property.

3. Duty to Support One’s 6. Duty to Perform

Family one’s Best