The 70 most revealing phrases of Saint Thomas Aquinas

One of the most important thinkers who made way for the Renaissance, his life was devoted to study, writing and teaching. The thoughts and phrases of Saint Thomas Aquinas they are based on the close relationship between human reason and faith.

Founder of the Thomistic school, he had an Aristotelian influence, and focused on his studies in metaphysics and cosmology. All this added to a life understood as a mission planned to serve the Christian God and the use of philosophy to understand that divine dimension in which he believed.

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The 70 phrases of Saint Thomas Aquinas

In this compilation of the phrases of Santo Tomás Aquino the reflections and aphorisms that best represent his philosophy appear.

1. Good can exist without evil, while evil cannot exist without good

In some way or another, each pole needs the shadow of the other

2. Fear the man of one book

This phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas refers to people who have a fixed ideal and show it frankly.

3. Beings endowed with intelligence want to always exist and a natural desire cannot exist in vain

That is why they transcend through his works.

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4. The student is the one who leads others to what he has understood: the truth

This phrase of phrase from Saint Thomas Aquinas, values ​​the power of people who dedicate their lives to study as they resonate with others.

5. There are particular goods that do not have a necessary relationship with happiness, since without them one can be happy. The will does not necessarily adhere to such goods

And that kind of thing doesn't appear without forcing it.

6. For an act to be voluntary, it must come from an intrinsic principle with some knowledge of the end

If we are going to offer our help, it must be free and spontaneous.

7. If a captain's highest goal were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.

This phrase tells us that if we do not risk we will not see the results of what we propose.

8. Believing is an act of the understanding that assents to divine truth by the rule of the will moved by God through grace.

In this of Saint Thomas Aquinas we can appreciate the reaffirmation of his faith.

9. Faith refers to things that are not seen, and hope to things that are not at hand.

A simple way to conceptualize these two elements.

10. The law is just or adjusted to another according to a certain kind of equality

We do not all have the same perspective on what is fair.

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11. The law is the prescription of reason, ordered to the common good, given by the one who is in charge of caring for the community

This phrase from Saint Thomas Aquinas is focused on situations of civil coexistence.

12. God loves everything that exists

In this phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he centers the reason for his faith.

13. Since the particular sciences leave untreated some things that need investigation, it is necessary to existence of a universal and first science that studies those questions that the sciences do not deal with individuals

About the study of different types of subjects that in his time were little taken into account.

14. Divine love, without comparison, is a force of fusion, because it wants the good for others

This phrase from Saint Thomas Aquinas talk about unconditional love.

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15. This is properly loving someone: wanting good for him. Therefore, in what someone loves, they want good for themselves

About that love that feeds both people.

16. The essence of love is to befriend God, insofar as He is happy and the source of happiness. "

Another phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas, focuses on the love of God, as an expression of his faith

17. It is necessary to admit something that is absolutely necessary, whose cause of its need is not in another, but that it is the cause of the need of others. They all tell him God

Saint Thomas Aquinas, in this sentence, makes apology of christianity.

18. The existence of God is evident in itself, but not for us, therefore, it must be demonstrated "

On the struggle and importance of opening a path to religion.

19. Jesus Christ is the image of God in the human

In this phrase, Saint Thomas Aquinas reinforces the idea that Jesus emanates directly from God, something that characterizes Christianity and its conception of the divine.

20. Christian spirituality has no other rule than to follow Christ the teacher

Another phrase dedicated to religious faith.

21. Contemplate and give to others what is contemplated

This phrase from Saint Thomas Aquinas emphasizes the importance of solidarity.

22. In itself, mercy is the greatest of virtues, since it belongs to it to turn to others and, even more, to help their deficiencies.

On dogmas based on mercy.

23. This is peculiar to the superior, and that is why it is considered proper of God to have mercy, in which his omnipotence shines in a maximum way

In this phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas humanizes God, and that weight transfers it to the duty of each person.

24. If someone does not love the truth, he is not a man

The truth as an inherent and pure feature of humanity.

25. The root of freedom is found in reason. There is no freedom but in the truth

The lie always enslaves us.

26. To educate is to promote to the offspring the perfect state of man as man, that is, to the state of virtue

For Saint Thomas Aquinas, dedication to study was the most important thing after faith.

27. Acting follows being

This phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas refers to the search for

28. The law is the prescription of reason, ordered to the common good, given by the one who is in charge of caring for the community

One of the phrases of Saint Thomas Aquinas that invite deep reflection.

29. The being of things, not their truth, is the cause of truth in the understanding

In this phrase, Saint Thomas Aquinas alludes to the essence of everything that exists as what matters.

30. It is clear that the truth exists. Because he who denies that the truth exists, he knows that the truth exists. If, then, the truth does not exist, it is true that the truth does not exist

What is denied is because in some way it is being taken as something that exists.

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31. Sin offends God what harms man

In this phrase from Saint Thomas Aquinas, he brings the idea that the basis of the relationship with God involves sin.

32. Everything that is true, whoever said it, has its origin in the spirit

This phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas places the origin of knowledge in the divine.

33. Every man has to invent his way

It refers to the fact that each person can modify episodes of his life as he wishes.

34. Every movement of the will must be preceded by knowledge. But not the other way around: not all knowledge is preceded by a voluntary notion

On the origin of the reason why we decided to do things.

35. Treat others as you wish others to treat you

This phrase talks about empathy and benevolence.

36. The action of understanding consists in the fact that the formality or concept of the known thing is found in the knower; on the other hand, the act of the will is perfected by the movement towards the thing as it is in itself.

Each thing takes shape according to how it moves.

38. God, who is a pure act and has no potentiality at all, has infinite active power over other things

Phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas that strengthens the belief of him.

39. As an individual, the woman is a weak and defective being

Position of Saint Thomas Aquinas regarding the female figure.

40. Love takes the place that knowledge leaves

In this phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he refers to the fact that love and the cognitive often go the same way.

41. Bad law, null law

If it is not useful, the law does not exist.

42. All truth, whoever says it, is of the Holy Spirit

For Saint Thomas Aquinas, the origin of value is the divine.

43. To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. For one without faith, no explanation is possible

If you don't believe in something then you don't believe.

44. Love is not a passion, because no virtue is passion, and all love is "a certain virtue

In this phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he exalts love before any other expression of affection.

45. In this life, it is better to love God than to know him

For Saint Thomas Aquinas God is the main reason for any reason.

46. The common good outweighs the private good

It is better to fight for the causes of the other as it allows us to grow in spirit.

47. Whatever gift we give someone, the first gift we give them is to love them

Phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas about solidarity and love of neighbor.

48. The father must be more loved than the mother, since he is the active principle of procreation, while the mother is only the passive principle.

This phrase of Saint Thomas Aquinas would be highly questioned today.

49. True love grows with difficulties; the false one goes out. From experience we know that when we endure difficult trials for someone we love, love does not collapse, it grows.

About the honest love that he builds.

50. Love leads to happiness. Only those who have it are promised eternal bliss. And without it, everything else is insufficient

This philosopher tells us about love.

51. The one who loves comes out of the interior of him and moves to that of the beloved insofar as he wants the good of him and gives himself to achieve it, as if he were for himself

About tolerance and unconditional support in your partner.

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52. Any true friend wants for his friend: 1- to exist and live; 2- all goods; 3- doing good to him; 4- delighting in his coexistence; and 5- finally, sharing with him his joys and sorrows, living with him in one heart.

In this sentence Saint Thomas Aquinas talks about friendship.

53. A friend is better than being honored, and a loved one is better than being honored.

Above all, affection and friendship must prevail.

54. Love produces perfect joy in man. Indeed, he only truly enjoys the one who lives in charity

Another phrase about love.

55. God, the cause of everything, due to the immense amount of his loving-kindness, comes out of his own interior to fill all things

For Saint Thomas Aquinas, God is the answer to all kinds of questions.

56. The only instrument that men have both to improve ourselves and to live with dignity is education

Reflections on the importance of study and knowledge.

57. The true teacher is the one who helps the student to achieve the perfection of science

On the role of the teacher.

58. All men by nature want to know.

About the need for knowledge.

59. The teacher who limits himself to answering a problem only with arguments (citing authors) leaves the disciple with an empty head

The use of experience when sharing knowledge has greater power.