In the article, we will talk about the biography of Thomas Aquinas. This is a famous philosopher and theologian, to whom the world owes important knowledge. We will examine in detail the life path and achievements of this great man.
First meeting
We will begin our examination of the biography of Thomas Aquinas with a cursory acquaintance with him. This is an outstanding scientist who is a theologian and philosopher. Moreover, he is canonized by the Catholic Church. He is the largest systematizer of orthodox scholasticism and a church teacher. It differs in that it first found the connecting threads between the philosophy of Aristotle and the Christian faith.
A life
The biography of Thomas Aquinas begins with his birth on approximately January 25 in 1225. The boy was born near Naples in the castle of Roccasecca. He became the seventh son of the famous and wealthy Earl of Landolph. Thomas's mother was called Theodora, she was a rich and enviable Neapolitan bride. It is known that the boy’s father dreamed that he would become an abbot in a monastery located near a family castle.
When the boy was 5 years old, he was sent to the Benedictine monastery, where he stayed for 4 years. In 1239 he entered the University of Naples, which he successfully completed in 1243. During training, the young man became very close to the Dominicans and even decided to become a member of their order. But the whole family resolutely opposed this, and his brothers imprisoned Thomas in the fortress of San Giovani.
Liberty
We continue the brief biography of Thomas Aquinas with the fact that he gained freedom only in 1245. Then he, contrary to the will of the whole family, became a monk of the Dominican Order. To less overlap with relatives and start his journey, he went to the University of Paris. There, Albert the Great himself became the teacher and mentor of the young man. Between 1248 and 1250, Thomas studied at the University of Cologne, to which he followed in the footsteps of his mentor. In 1252 he returned to the University of Dominican Republic. After 4 years, he was appointed a teacher of theology due to the ability of the Dominicans to propose their candidacy. Thomas began to teach at the University of Paris.
First work
It was here, at large, that the young man wrote his first works, namely, “On Existence and Essence”, “Commentary on“ Maxim ”,“ On the Principles of Nature ”. Then an incredible round of fate happens: it is to himself, in Rome, that Pope Urban IV calls. The next 10 years of his life, Thomas devotes a teaching field in Italy, namely in Rome and Anagni.
At the same time, the theologian writes a great philosophical and theological work. The man spent most of his time in Italy as a theological adviser to the papal curia.
In 1269, the researcher returned to Paris in order to begin the struggle with the Arab interpreters of the works of Aristotle and clear his teachings. By the way, a very sharp treatise of the hero of our article, “On the Unity of Intelligence against Averroists”, was written just in 1272. He directly related to the works of Aristotle and their misinterpretation.
We continue the short biography of Thomas Aquinas with the fact that in the same year he was recalled to Italy to create a Dominican school in Naples. Unfortunately, due to poor health, the man had to stop teaching and leave writing for a while. But he was not destined to return to his labors. So, in 1274, a brief biography and the work of the philosopher Thomas Aquinas were interrupted, since he was dying on the way to Lyon. At this time, he was in the monastery of Fossanov. On the road, the life of an outstanding theologian ended.
Biography of Thomas Aquinas by G. K. Chesterton
In this book, the author resorts to fiction in order to better illustrate the life of the hero of our article. It combines journalistic and confessional genres in order to better convey the atmosphere. Literally, Gilbert Keith simply transformed the genre of biography in its classical sense. Despite the use of artistic techniques, he fully retains the reliability of historical facts, and on the basis of some data even denies incorrect information or interpretations that arose from the legends of Aquinas.
Influence
How was the opinion of the hero of our article formed? The biography and philosophy of Thomas Aquinas are inextricably linked with Aristotle mentioned above. The fact is that this great man had a significant influence on the creative rethinking of Thomas. At the same time, the thoughts of Arab and Greek commentators and Neoplatonists are traced in the works: Cicero, Augustine, Avicenna, Maimonides, etc.
Proceedings
The biography, theology and philosophy of Thomas Aquinas is impossible without his two main works, namely the treatises "Sum against the Gentiles" and "Sum of theology." He also commented on the treatises of Aristotle, Pseudo-Dionysius, Boethius, P. Lombard. It is known that the theologian expressed his opinion on the account of some books of the Bible and the anonymous book “On Causes”. He was interested in alchemy, poetic texts for worship and religious works of other authors.
In many ways, all these opinions were based on his teaching activities, since at that time reading religious books and debates about them were invariably accompanied by comments.
Ideas
The biography and teachings of Thomas Aquinas are very closely intertwined, since he succumbed to the influence of his environment. Consider his key ideas. Firstly, it must be said that he clearly separated philosophy and theology, believing that in the first reason prevails, and in the second - revelation. Thomas believed that philosophy is in strict submission to theology, which he put much higher.
Note that Aristotle identified 4 main stages of knowledge of the truth, namely - experience, art, knowledge and wisdom. At Aquinas, wisdom became an independent quantity, which was knowledge of God. At the same time, he distinguished three of its types: at the level of grace, theology and metaphysics.
It was Thomas who proposed the idea that the human mind cannot fully comprehend wisdom, as some truths are simple and understandable (the existence of God), and some are not (trinity, resurrection). Aquinas put forward the idea that natural and theological knowledge cannot be in conflict, since they are harmonious and complement each other. If by wisdom he understood the desire to understand God, then by science - the methods of this understanding.
Being
We briefly reviewed the biography and philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, but some of his ideas require a detailed consideration. By being Thomas understood the most intimate that is hidden in the depths of the soul of every living creature. He emphasized that the existence of a thing is far more important than its essence. This was based on the fact that essence is not an act of creation, in contrast to existence.
Aquinas understood the world as a combination of various existences that depend on God. Only in it is it the unity of essence and existence, as identical concepts. At the same time, the theologian proposed considering two forms of life: random or dependent, and self-based - unconditional.
At the same time, only God himself was a true being, and everything else had only his illusion. Thomas did not deny the existence of angels and other creatures and believed that the closer they are to God in the hierarchy, the more freedom they have.
Form and Matter
The researcher saw the essence of being in forms and matter. He considered the latter in the same way as Aristotle, that is, as a passive element necessary for the manifestation of the individuality of other objects. The complexity of the human being was its duality. If spiritual creatures could live in one of the forms (random and unconditional), then people should have existed in matter and form.
Thomas believed that the form itself cannot be significant, since it acquires some value only when it reflects the spiritual essence of its carrier. Perfect form meant a certain likeness to God.
Evidence of the existence of God
The first evidence of the existence of a higher power of Aquinas is based on the fact of movement. This means that everything moves in the world, and everything movable has some kind of force that forces him to do this. But at the same time, the initial force cannot be moved by anything, which means that it exists by itself.
The second proof is based on the fact that everything in the world has its own cause, which means there is some kind of connection. Moreover, they are all based on the root cause, which is called God, because from it comes the very being.
The third proof is based on the fact that in the world there are things in which there is a need, and there are those in which it is not. Everything is created and destroyed, but if the process ended there, then for a long time there would have been nothing. But since there is something, it means there is something necessary, from which the necessity of everything else flows.
The fourth proof is based on the degree of being. The fact is that there are things good, better, bad, neutral, etc. All of them are equal to a certain ideal, that is, to the highest degree of something. So there is something great that is the cause and the first degree of all things.
The last evidence concerns the target reason. Thomas noted that non-thinking living things, such as animals, are moving toward what is best for them. So, they act the same and choose the best development paths for themselves. But non-thinking creatures without cognitive ability can only move intentionally if they are guided by something thinking, that is, God.
Ethics
We conclude our consideration of the biography of Thomas Aquinas, his ideas and works, but dwell on the ethics, to which he paid enough attention. In his views, Thomas relied on the principle of freedom of human will, good teaching. According to Aquinas, evil is not such a perfect good that happens intentionally in order to go through all levels of perfection.
The main goal in Thomas' ethical views is that the goal of all human aspirations is the highest good, which consists in mental activity and in the knowledge of the truth, and therefore, of God himself. Aquinas believed that people do good and do the right thing not because they are taught that way, but because every person has an unwritten secret law in his heart that must be followed.
Summing up the article, we say that the biography of Thomas Aquinas is very rich and diverse. He had to go against his father’s will and not justify his hopes in order to follow the dictates of his heart. This great man made a huge contribution to the development of theology and philosophy, giving the world incredible and deep ideas about God and existence.