Saint Thomas Aquinas: biography of this philosopher and theologian

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was a priest and theologian of the Dominican order of Roman Catholicism. He is recognized as one of the greatest philosophers of the scholastic tradition, defined as a theoretical movement who dominated much of the Middle Ages, and who uses reason to understand the religious revelations of Christianity.

We will see below a biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas, as well as a brief explanation of his contributions to philosophical and theological thought.

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Biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas: Philosopher and Theologian

Thomas Aquinas was born in the year 1225 in the kingdom of Naples, near the current province of Frosinone. Son of Count Landulf and Countess Theodora of Theati, Aquino was soon associated with the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Roman emperors. In fact, Aquino's family expected him to follow the Benedictine path, as it was the expected destination for any son of the Italian nobility.

For the same reason, Thomas Aquinas

began training him in educational and religious institutions very early. At 16 he left the University of Naples, where he had studied with the Dominicans and Franciscans, which in turn had represented a challenge for the clergy of the time.

He intended to continue his Dominican training, which did not please his family. In fact, the biographers of Thomas Aquinas say that his family decided to lock him up for more than a year in the castle of Roccasecca, where he was born. This was to prevent him from entering the order.

Finally, after the confinement, he entered the Dominican School of Cologne in 1244, and in 1245 the University of Paris, where he was trained in philosophy and theology at the hand of Alberto Magno. By 1428 he was appointed professor, and this is the time when he formally began his academic, literary and public life.

After having spent many years in France, where he developed much of his work, Thomas Aquinas returned to Naples. He died in the same city on March 7, 1274 from a sudden illness. Some versions say that his death was actually caused by a king of Sicily, who poisoned him due to political conflicts. 50 years after his death, Thomas Aquinas was canonized and recognized as one of the most representative medieval intellectuals.

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Philosophical thought: reason and faith

Aquino's philosophical thought is one of the most influential in Christian theurgy, especially in the Roman Catholic Church. He is recognized as an important empiricist of the Aristotelian tradition, who influenced the later development of Western philosophy.

Among other things, Aquino argued that it was impossible for humans to acquire any knowledge true without the help of God, since it is the latter who has the power to transform the intellect into act.

He said, however, that human beings do have the possibility of knowing a part of the world in a natural way (without divine intervention). There were then two types of components of true knowledge. On the one hand, the truth is known through reason, that is, by "natural revelation."

On the other hand, the truth is known through faith, which corresponds to a "supernatural revelation". The latter is accessible through sacred writing and the teachings of the prophets; while the first has to do with human nature.

For Thomas Aquinas, it was possible to find rational proofs of the existence of God and of his attributes (truth, good, goodness, power, knowledge, unity). Likewise, it was possible to know the Trinity only through special sacred revelations. More than contradictory elements, for Thomas Aquinas, reason and faith are complementary, and their search is what leads to true knowledge.

Among the previous philosophers, who marked the works of Thomas Aquinas in an important way, is Plato, the Aristotle's main theories, Avicenna's Jewish thought, and the work of Albert the Great, with whom he trained for many years.

Theology and argument about the existence of God

The theological thinking of Thomas Aquinas is significantly influenced by the work of Augustine of Hippo, the bible, and the decrees of councils and popes. Namely, combines the thought of Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine.

Returning to the connection between reason and faith, for Aquinas, theology (sacred doctrine) is itself a science. And the sacred writings are the faithful replication of the data of said science, since they have been produced both by revelation and by natural knowledge.

For Aquinas, the ultimate goal of theology is the use of reason to know God and to find true salvation. In the same vein he spoke of the essential properties of God, arguing that his existence is not evident and that he cannot easily be tested.

In one of his great works, Summa Theologica, he upholds his ontological arguments about the existence of God: there are five ways that correspond to five qualities of God and are, therefore, rational proofs of his existence:

• Way One: God in simple (does not break down into simpler parts).
• Second Way: God is perfect (unlike any other being, he lacks nothing).
• Third Way: God is infinite (because his nature is different from the finiteness of physics).
• Fourth Way: God is immutable (his essence and character do not change).
• Fifth Way: God is unity (he does not diversify within himself).

Likewise, Thomas Aquinas maintains that the existence of God can be verified through the movement of objects, through the hierarchy of values ​​and elements of the world, through how natural bodies are ordered and through the world of possibilities.

Bibliographic references:

• St. Thomas Aquinas Biography. Saint, Theologian, Philosopher, Priest (2018). Biography. Retrieved October 26, 2018. Available in https://www.biography.com/people/st-thomas-aquinas-9187231.
• Thomas Aquinas (2015). New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 26, 2018. Available in http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Thomas_Aquinas.