Tomas de Aquino and His Philosophy

Tomas de Aquino is very well-known in the academe as St Thomas Aquinas.  Aquinas is not actually his surname.  During his times, the use of surname or family name was not yet in practice.  It is rather part of the tradition of these times that if one is born to a noble family, the name of his birthplace is added to his name.  Tomas was born in Aquino, Italy –thus, his name is Tomas de Aquino.  He is Tomas of Aquino.

At a young age, he wants to enter in a monastery.  Of course, during these times, entering in a monastery at a young age is anyone else’s desire.  It’s part of the “collective perspective” of the people of these times to offer their life to God.  A young child is happy to serve the Lord in prayer inside the monastery or in doing corporal works of mercy.  Unlike today, entering in a monastic life or a seminary life is like a burden to teenagers.  They may find monastic or seminary life boring.  For our young today, life becomes colourful only in listening to music, watching videos, going out to parties, going out with friends, and many more.  Life of prayer seems out-dated because of the comfort afforded to us by modern technologies.

Historians of philosophy commonly agree that St Thomas is very much influenced by Aristotle.  St. Augustine, on the other hand, is much Platonic.  Two great saints sprout from two great schools of thought.  St Thomas is typically Aristotelian.  In fact, he often mentioned “The Philosopher” in his writings referring to Aristotle.

St Thomas answers practically all questions in philosophy.  That’s why, he produced voluminous literary works.  In this article, I’d like to focus on his idea of man.

Like Aristotle –“The Philosopher,” St Thomas believes that man is a composite of body and soul.  But unlike St Augustine, he doesn’t make emphasis of either body or soul.  Man is the whole of his body and soul.  No part of man is more important than the other, which is contrary to what St Augustine claims that soul is more important part of man.  In this line of thought, we see a fibre of thought connecting Aristotle and St Thomas. 

If we also recall, Aristotle claims that, as a composite of body and soul, man is meant for a purpose.  His purpose is embedded in his being composite as designed in the mind of his creator, the Demiurge.  With elements of Christian thought, St Thomas puts some colours of the pagan philosophy of Aristotle with pigments of Christian thought.  God created man.  As a creature of God, he is beautifully designed in the divine mind of God making him ranked next to angels.  He is meant for a purpose since God must have thought intentionally of creating him.  Otherwise, God must have created of something else other than man.  Because of this, man is a clear reflection of his creator, God the Father.  His Creator is good, so as man.  This line of argument leads us to a conclusion that man is naturally good. 

This theme –man as naturally good, is not uncommon, or say, peculiar in the thought of the medieval thinkers.  In ancient China, Mencius also claims the same theme.  He likens the natural goodness of man to a virgin forest –pure and untouched by human civilization.  But when civilization touches and denudes its virginity, it will gradually lose its purity.  By nature, man is pure of heart.  But because of outside influences (good or bad), man will gradually lose his purity or goodness of heart.  Eventually he will possess some tendency to do evil.

As a Christian thinker, St Thomas elaborates this theme in the context of Christian thought and beliefs.  At the moment of conception, the principle of morality, which states, “Do good and avoid evil,” is implanted in the heart of man.  As commonly claimed by medieval thinkers, St Thomas makes use of the idea of “synderesis” to mean the natural capacity or disposition of the practical reason (will) of man to apprehend intuitively the universal principle of morality.  Having this natural disposition to do good, man through his practical will has always the inclination to do what is good.  For years of looking for the right Cebuano term for practical will, I have found the word, pagbuot.  This Cebuano word, pagbuot is appropriately synonymous with the word will or practical reason.  In Cebuano, ang atong pagbuot –kanunay gyud pagbuot sa pagbuhat og maayo.  Practical will of man is always the will to do good.  That’s because of the synderesis –man’s natural disposition to apprehend intuitively the principle of morality.  

On this basis, conscience in its literal meaning (Latin: con, with + scientia, knowledge = with knowledge) does make sense.  Conscience has the connotation that if one’s will (pagbuot) to do good is exercised in a concrete situation, one’s action is done with the knowledge of the fundamental principle of morality.  In its literal sense, conscience is primarily about action done out of the knowledge of the good.  If the dictates of conscience is not followed, then one has the feeling of remorse –a guilty feeling of not listening to the dictates of conscience. 

There are major challenges in listening to one’s conscience. The first challenge is when one is carried by his emotions or passions.  One’s emotions may be so strong that somehow makes the voice of conscience fade.  For example, when lovers engage in pre-marital sex because they are carried by their passions, they haven’t listened to the voice of their conscience.  But, in the first place, each of them knows what not to do in that particular situation.  The second challenge is when one acts not in the context of face-to-face interaction.  Modern societies facilitate various interactions which are considered as “faceless.”  For example, years back to withdraw money in the bank is done in the counter where a cashier facilitates the release of money.  But today, many withdrawals of cash are done in Automated Teller Machines (ATM).  If you withdraw PH1500 in the ATM and the machine dispenses PH2000, then you have the moral dilemma whether you are going to return the excess or not.  Most of the time, that transaction will discourage you to return the excess since you are transacting a machine –a faceless entity.  The point is that conscience becomes dull when dealing with non-persons.  The third challenge is that the will to do good must be constantly practiced.  The voice of conscience becomes weaker if it is not habitually exercised.  Again, like Aristotle –the Philosopher, St Thomas emphasizes that the exercise of conscience must be in a form of a habit.  As a consequence, the man who habitually listens to the voice of his conscience is a happy one since he actualizes what he is intended to be by God.

Finally, St Thomas thinks of man’s ultimate purpose, which is to go back to the heavenly paradise.  And, the only way to go back to it is by being a man of conscience.