Through this article, we will show you who he was and what were the Contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas to the different scientific and social branches, such as education, administration, philosophy, economics and psychology, which created such an impact that many of them are still in force today, being part of the moral philosophy of the Catholic Church.
Contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Before talking about the contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino, a semblance of the life of this important character should be made, highlighting the events that decisively influenced his life so that he resolved to make the contributions he made to the different social and scientific branches.
He is of German origin and comes from a family that lived in a castle in the vicinity of the Aquino region. At the age of five he began his school life having among his main teachings music and religion, followed by grammar and moral ethics. To learn about other religious topics you can read about How many books does the New Testament have?
He continued his higher education at the University of Nápoles, where he was credited in the area of the liberal arts, beginning to adopt a great Aristotelian influence. In the year 1244, he entered the Dominican Mendicant Order, very much against the wishes of his family, who wanted him to Thomas will replace his uncle in the monastery of Montecasino.
He was even kidnapped for a year by his brothers and cousins in the castle Roccasecca, so that he would desist from the idea, managing to escape from his captivity, fleeing to Paris with the intention of moving away from his family environment. While in captivity, he devoted himself to a thorough study of the Bible.
He continued his studies at the University of Paris, having teachers who taught him the aristotelian method. Together with one of these professors named Albert the Greattraveled to the region of Neighborhood, where he continued to obtain knowledge related to the works of Aristotle, postulates that they later had to defend.
He was ordained as a priest while completing his university studies, turning out to be an outstanding student. The confrontation between two groups, the secular and the Mendicant Orders, put the continuity of the classes at risk, and those days passed between protest actions due to the arrest of students branded criminals.
But apparently, the real reasons would be based on a rejection of the dynamics taught by mendicant teachers, framed in the discipline of study and very crowded classes.
It was then the perfect scenario that gave rise to the writing of a first work by Saint Thomas of Aquino, entitled “Against those who impugn divine worship”, to respond to another publication that was published months before entitled “Book of the antichrist and his ministers and Against the dangers of the newest times”, where various treatises of Dr. William of Saint Amour.
This was considered as the first contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino, which even received the approval of the pope Alexander IV, who, on the contrary, did not take well the statements of Saint Amor, taking as a measure to prohibit him from continuing to teach classes and sacraments, and even ended up excommunicated.
Similarly, the Supreme Pontiff assigned Thomas the task of conducting an analysis of theIntroductory book to the everlasting gospel”, thus showing him that he had full confidence in his ability to review the theological dogma.
When he turned 31 years old, he completed a doctorate, making the first contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino to the area of teaching, at the University of Paris, where he was exercising as an instructor of the Theology chair. In those times, the King of France, Louis IX, appointed him as his adviser.
The treatise on metaphysical topics was the content of his first monographs. Then he travels to Valenciennes, where he studied for the Order, together with Peter of Tarentaisecon and Albert the Great, in the years of 1259. When he returned to Italy, he was in several cities, among which we can mention Viterbo, Orvieto, Naples and Rome, where he worked as a teacher for a decade.
In the course of that time, he writes the narrative guide entitled "Summa against gentiles”, a commission addressed to the order in Spain. Around the same date, he began writing the Summa Theologiae. Pope Urban IV appointed him his personal adviser, commissioning him to carry out an analysis of the four Gospels, and from there to prepare a document called "the Catena aurea.
Despite apparently having so much success, at the moment of establishing a position in reference to the content of three lines of thought with which he did not agree, this brought him serious inconveniences that forced him to return to France.
Other contributions from Saint Thomas of Aquino, was the rewriting of one of the most outstanding works of Aristotle that was exhibited during an exhibition, a work to which the reissue of the Letters of the apostle was added Pablo and the Gospel of Juan. Is in France where the writing of the second part of the text ends “Summa Theologiae.
His extensive knowledge made him always disagree with several philosophers of the time, making one of them public and commented with his students who told them that if man had a spirit, then he must also have faith, intelligence and reasoning. .
A more extensive and detailed explanation was made through the presentation of his work entitled "Of unitate intellectus against Averroists”, a resounding response in rejection of the postulate presented by the Averroists of the moment (philosophers).
With the publication of this work, then, Saint Thomas of Aquino, he was victorious, and his opponents had no choice but to retract. Then he traveled to the city of Nápoles, where he was very well received and took the opportunity to meet with friends and family.
While he was finishing the third installment of the text “the Summa Theologiae., had a spiritual vision where he was told that said text would not have any significance, which is why he stopped the work. After a time he was surprised by the attack of an illness that forced him to enter the hospital. Abbey of Fossanova, dying on March 7, 1274.
The mortal remains of Saint Thomas Aquinas were transported to the city of Toulouse of Languedoc, on January 28, 1369, this being the date on which the Catholic Church commemorates it. Regarding the causes of his death, at that time and to this day it is still believed that the saint was poisoned due to political retaliation. After verifying several of his miracles, he was canonized in the year 1323.
philosophical contributions
The contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the area of philosophy was framed within theology, that is, a type of philosophy through which he analyzed the current of Christianity, being taken as a doctrine.
Proving the existence of God was his greatest contribution, a fact that he carried out using a methodology called the "five way”. As described by this principle, the existence of God could be verified from lived experience, based on the relationship between cause and effect.
works of knowledge entitled the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Theologica, are two examples of the contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino to philosophy. Within them, the points of coincidence with the theory of the logic of reason and the dogma of Christianity are made evident.
Similarly, both works show the marked influence they have in reference to the use of philosophical arguments of ancient Greek thinkers, such as the case of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. of his statements, Thomas Aquinas cites his philosophical reasoning to thereby demonstrate the full existence of God before people who do not believe in him.
It was these contributions Saint Thomas of Aquino to philosophy, and also in the field of theology, which earned him worldwide recognition as one of the most outstanding philosophers of pedagogy in medieval times.
To his credit, he has hundreds of intellectual works in which the philosophical thought that bases the values and principles of the Catholic Church is revealed, as well as a marked influence of Aristotelian statements that he uses as a basis and foundation, to your texts.
Another of the dogmas that is exalted in his works is the theology of Saint Augustine, being a clear example the text titled “the Sum of Theology”, which became a mandatory reference for all those who are participants in the study of theology and philosophy of Christianity.
The work on the existence of God by Saint Thomas Aquinas was so complete and presented in such an orderly manner that it was placed above the writings of the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato, who speak of the same explanation. It is now the reference that is cited within the studies of classical philosophy.
His work entitled "The Five Ways" It begins with an introduction where various generalities that occurred in the world in a particular way are described, widely explained so that man can understand them in their entirety. The saint calledGod”, to the high capacity for explanation.
Then each of the five ways is described, the first being related to the reason why objects have movement. The explanation given is that everything that moves is the result of another movement, so it cannot be moved instantly.
The Second Way, contemplates what is related to an efficient cause, whose way begins for reasons similar to the actions that culminate in Uncaused Cause, compared with God, Almighty. The Third Way emanates from the possible, being linked to the fact that there are things that may or may not be, or taken as something eventual, something temporary.
It is impossible for the things included in an eventual fact such as not existing to have any kind of indefinite continuity, because there will come a time when they have to disappear. It is there where an Individual appears who identifies with God, containing among his attributes the duration as part of his reality.
The Fourth Way is related to giving categories to the values of things. In this part is illustrated, truthfulness and mercy, elements that are closely related to God, considered as the Being of greatest goodness. The Fifth Way has to do with the systematization of things, where within the contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino deals with the subject of natural bodies.
Contributions to psychology
Within the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the area of psychology, he developed works where he proposed theories that referred to behavior and human conduct, as well as what has to do with free will. These are some of the approaches that are still valid until now.
In the field of psychology, these principles are considered of great value within Christian psychology through which it was established that human nature could be better understood, when actions generated according to will were understood. of the soul. There are other spiritual contributions and teachings in the text Parables of Jesus
Other elements contemplated by Christian psychology are some philosophical principles framed within science, which directly impact human behavior, these being important statements of the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas, giving us a clearer understanding of the condition adopted. for the man
This dogmatic thought has people who are for and against, and who have established a position linked to their understanding from the indoctrination of a modern culture and the established principles within Christianity.
The position assumed by some psychologists, theologians and philosophers, based on little cognitive knowledge about faith, and who claim to be believers of the Catholic current, coincide with psychologists who use the same theory as Freud, with reference to the existence from God.
Having knowledge about the mystery of the Incarnate Word is the way in which man will solve the mystery of man, says the Vatican Council II, whose philosophical and religious anthropology is framed in the coming of Jesus Christ to save man from sin and eternal death.
The psychology that studies human nature must be based on the integral knowledge of man, something that is ignored by some currents that understand modern and contemporary psychology, causing them to comment on the mistake of ignoring the essence of man when it comes to carry out their analyzes and conclusions, limiting their positive work.
Contributions to the administration
Regarding the contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino In the area of administration, it can be said that the theories that he proposed were very similar to the premises of Plato, a famous Greek philosopher, regarding the term of communal property, a methodology was part of the actions that were already being developed by the apostles in search of common benefit.
Equity and ethical values of justice should be elements that will be reflected in prices when carrying out a commercial and monetary transaction. The introduction of the sense of charity was also one of the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas to the administration.
According to his theories, the value of goods should be closely related to production costs and common welfare, which translates into a concept of fair prices. The economic system of that time was feudal, that is to say, directed by nobles, ranchers and landowners, who did not allow their workers to have good commercial profits that would raise their social status.
In the same way, he also touched on the subject among his contributions of the concept of compassion, since in his opinion, the cost of the goods should be balanced, that is, the setting of prices, on the one hand, should compensate for production costs, but also the needs of users. Within the administration, he introduced economic concepts that were related to theology and morals.
Other contributions from Saint Thomas of Aquino related to administrative aspects were derived from his following actions: Within his recognized work entitled Summa Theologica, I deal with various topics in economics. He proposed to put the name of God first, before any treasure or wealth that was achieved.
He made a study on the legal aspect that entails the fact of charging interest on loans, questioning the point related to a fair profit and the type of nature that governed private property. After an analysis, he ended up rejecting the loan with interest.
The commercial and mercantile exchanges had a range of legality and authorized the participation in commercial activities of the Christians. He indicated that the cost of goods should be defined as derived from utility and not from their nature. He introduced the concept of market price by suggesting that prices will be set by the consumer society.
Contributions to education
Within the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas to education, there is a record of various analyzes based on moral and theological issues. Thanks to his outstanding intellectual trajectory within the areas of philosophy and theology, he was nominated to be a teacher, at the same time that he produced several works.
They consist of several analyzes and conclusions, the product of his inquiries in the area of philosophy and religion, which had a positive impact on education and are still valid today.
His teaching ideal was based on the formation of the human being where he was aware of his essence, his nature, and that it was in communion with God. Among the contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino In education, there is a marked tendency to introduce philosophical aspects combined with the practice of values, among which morality stands out.
In the same way, I deal with the subject of the productive arts, without neglecting the teaching of Christian virtues. For St Thomas, education, was the path to be followed by man in his quest to obtain full knowledge of his Being and his close relationship with God, because for the man the education would represent a formative knowledge, and if she was not it would be nobody.
He believed in the promotion of human potentialities that should be reinforced through a moral formation where aspects such as justice, temperance and strength will be highlighted. In the same way, he dealt with what refers to intellectual education, considering that the form of learning that is acquired through discovering things.
This means that it uses the research methodology and that they will end with an analysis or conclusion, it was something feasible for teaching. He transformed the concept of educational science to be seen and considered as a practical science that leaves students to draw their own analyzes and conclusions.
Contributions to the economy
The contributions of Saint Thomas of Aquino within the branch of economics, they are framed within the point of view of putting Christian ethics and social morality into practice. These two aspects stand out in her writings, particularly in her most commented work. the Summa Theologica.
Within its approaches, it makes serious questions and reflections about the collection of interest on loans, but also includes the issue of excessive profits obtained by lenders in a not very fair manner.
Through his work, he allows us to see how his preference prevails for the management of a new concept, communal property, prevalence even above the term of private property, in favor of a common good for society.
These contributions from Saint Thomas of Aquino coincided with the theories handled by other Christian philosophers, as in the case of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose, who considered that the material should not come before the spiritual, since Christian values should prevail, and before great wealth and material goods, love for others should be a priority. God.
As far as Private Property is concerned, both Saint Thomas of Aquino Like other great thinkers of that time, they questioned the movement of markets and their activities, in addition to agreeing that goods should be common.
According to what he established in his writings Saint Thomas of Aquino, Christians had a moral duty to pay more attention to how to use their own goods, instead of worrying about material things that do not have, or that others have, a foundation expressed by Christian doctrine.
During the XNUMXth century, everything related to the economy and the market was booming, which is why Saint Thomas Aquinas, authorized Christians to develop marketing activities, thus giving support to the economy through private property.
Both he and many other important philosophers of the time defended the thesis that one's own goods can be put to better use than common goods, one of the principles expressed by Aristotle in his time, which meant that people took more care of what they considered their own instead of everyone else's. Today, that principle is the main basis of the market economy.
Another of the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the economy, was in reference to the concept of the fair price, and also how was the formula to establish it, which should be related to the utility of the good to be acquired.
Those who opposed him pointed out that the price should be calculated according to the production costs, so he then proposed that the equation of said calculation be made in reference to a balance between both elements, that is, the utility of the good and the costs. of its production. This principle is currently in force in the area of economics.
He used some of the statements of the Old Testament to carry out an analysis on the subject of interest on loans, also arguing with some of the philosophical theories proposed by the thinker Aristotle, in order to question based on the fact that money does not reproduce with money but with production.
For the Catholic Church, the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the economic sphere had a great influence on their actions, since until the beginning of the 19th century, their parishioners had been prohibited from carrying out financial activities where loans were given with interest. This also explains the fact that many of the bankers of those times were Jews. If you liked this article, we invite you to review it on our blog Christian values
