Through this article, we will show you who Saint Thomas Aquinas was and what his contributions were to different scientific and social fields, such as education, administration, philosophy, economics, and psychology, which created such an impact that many of them are still relevant today, forming part of the moral philosophy of the Catholic Church.
Contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Before discussing the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas , it is necessary to provide an overview of the life of this important figure, highlighting the events that decisively influenced his life and led him to make the contributions he made to the various social and scientific fields.
He was of German origin and came from a family that lived in a castle near the Aquino region. At the age of five, he began his schooling, with music and religion being among his main subjects, followed by grammar and ethics. To learn about other religious topics, you can read about "How many books are in the New Testament?"
He continued his higher education at the University of Naples , where he earned degrees in the liberal arts, beginning to adopt a strong Aristotelian influence. In 1244, he entered the Dominican Order, much against the wishes of his family, who wanted Thomas to replace his uncle at the monastery of Monte Cassino.
He was even kidnapped and held captive for a year by his brothers and cousins at Roccasecca Castle in an attempt to dissuade him from his plans. He managed to escape and fled to Paris , seeking to distance himself from his family. While in captivity, he dedicated himself to the in-depth study of the Bible.
He continued his studies at the University of Paris , where he learned the Aristotelian method from professors . Together with one of these professors, Albertus Magnus , he traveled to the Cologne region , where he furthered his knowledge of Aristotle's works, postulates which they would later have 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 Aquinas , entitled " Against those who challenge divine worship ", to respond to another publication that came out months earlier entitled "Book of the Antichrist and his ministers and Against the dangers of the very last times", where several treatises of Doctor William of Saint Amour were presented.
This was considered the first contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas , which even received the approval of Pope Alexander IV , who on the contrary did not take kindly to the statements of Saint Amour, taking as a measure to prohibit him from continuing to teach and administer sacraments, and he even ended up excommunicated.
Similarly, the Supreme Pontiff assigned Thomas the task of conducting an analysis of the " Introductory Book to the Eternal Gospel ," thereby demonstrating that he had full confidence in his ability to review theological dogma.
At the age of 31, he completed his doctorate, making the first contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas to the field of teaching at the University of Paris , where he served as an instructor in the Chair of Theology. At that time, King Louis IX of France appointed him as his advisor.
The treatise on metaphysical topics was the subject of his first monographs. Later, he traveled to Valenciennes, where he studied the Order, along with Peter of Tarentaise and Albertus Magnus , in the year 1259. When he returned to Italy, he visited several cities, including Viterbo, Orvieto, Naples, and Rome, where he taught for a decade.
During that time, he wrote the narrative guide entitled " Summa contra Gentiles ," a commission for the order in Spain. Around the same time, he began writing the Summa Theologiae. Pope Urban IV appointed him his personal advisor, commissioning him to analyze the four Gospels and, from there, produce a document called the "Catena Aurea."
Despite his apparent success, when he took a stand on three lines of thought with which he disagreed, this brought him serious problems that forced him to return to France.
Other contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas included the rewriting of one of Aristotle 's most important works, which was exhibited at an exposition. This work was followed by the republication of the Letters of the Apostle Paul and the Gospel of John . It was in France that he completed the writing of the second part of the " 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 given through the presentation of his work entitled “ De unitate intellectus contra averroístas ”, a forceful response rejecting the postulate presented by the averroists of the time (philosophers).
With the publication of this work, Thomas Aquinas emerged victorious; his adversaries had no choice but to recant. He then traveled to Naples , where he was warmly received and took the opportunity to meet with friends and family.
While finishing the third part of his " Summa Theologiae ," he had a spiritual vision in which he realized that the text would have no lasting impact, and for this reason, he halted his work. After some time, he was struck by an illness that forced him to enter the Abbey of Fossanova , where he died on March 7, 1274.
The mortal remains of Saint Thomas Aquinas were transported to the city of Toulouse in Languedoc on January 28, 1369, the date on which the Catholic Church commemorates him. Regarding the cause of his death, it is still believed that the saint was poisoned as a result of political reprisals. After verifying several of his miracles, he was canonized in 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.
His greatest contribution was proving the existence of God, a feat he accomplished using a methodology called the " Five Ways ." According to this principle, God's existence could be verified through lived experience, based on the relationship between cause and effect.
The scholarly works titled *Summa contra Gentiles* and *Summa Theologica* are two examples of Thomas Aquinas 's contributions to philosophy. Within these works, points of convergence with the theory of logic and reason, as well as with Christian dogma, are evident.
Similarly, both works reveal the marked influence of ancient Greek thinkers, such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, in their use of philosophical arguments. Thomas Aquinas cites their philosophical reasoning to demonstrate the existence of God to non-believers.
It was these contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas to philosophy, and also in the field of theology, that made him worthy of the recognition of the whole world, as one of the most outstanding philosophers of pedagogy in the times of the medieval era.
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 extolled in his works is the theology of Saint Augustine , a clear example being the text entitled " the Summa Theologiae ", which became a mandatory reference for all those who participate 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” begins with an introduction describing various general phenomena that occurred in the world, explained in detail so that humankind can fully understand them. The Saint referred to this profound capacity for explanation as “ God .”
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 considers what is related to an efficient cause, whose path begins with reasons similar to the actions that culminate in an Uncaused Cause, compared with God , the Almighty. The Third Way stems from the possible, being linked to the fact that there are things that may or may not be, or can be considered as something eventual, something fleeting.
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 relates to assigning categories to the values of things. This section includes the concepts of truth and mercy, elements closely associated with God, considered the ultimate goodness. The Fifth Way concerns the systematization of things, and among the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas is the topic 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 highly valuable within Christian psychology, which posits that human nature can be better understood by comprehending actions generated according to the will of the soul. Other spiritual contributions and teachings can be found in the 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 taken by some psychologists, theologians, and philosophers, based on a limited cognitive understanding of faith, and who claim to be believers in the Catholic tradition, coincides with psychologists who adhere to Freud's theory regarding the existence of God.
Having knowledge of the mystery of the incarnate Word is the way in which man will solve the mystery of man, says the Second Vatican Council , 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 Aquinas in the area of administration, it can be said that the theories he proposed had great similarity to the premises of Plato, the famous Greek philosopher, with respect to the term of communal property ; a methodology that was part of the actions that had already been developed by the apostles in the search for the common good.
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 linked to production costs and the common good, which translates into a concept of fair prices. The economic system of that era was feudal , meaning it was controlled by nobles, landowners, and estate owners, who did not allow their workers to earn sufficient profits that would raise their social status.
Similarly, he also addressed the concept of compassion among his contributions , since in his view, the cost of goods should be balanced; that is, pricing should compensate for both production costs and the needs of consumers. Within the field of administration, he introduced economic concepts that were related to theology and morality.
Other contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas related to administrative matters stemmed from the following actions: In his renowned work, Summa Theologica, he addressed several economic issues. He advocated putting God's name first, before any treasure or wealth one might acquire.
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 ideal of teaching was based on the formation of the human being, making them aware of their essence, their nature, and their communion with God. Among the contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas to education, there is a marked tendency to introduce philosophical aspects combined with the practice of values, especially morality.
Similarly, I address the topic of productive arts, without neglecting the teaching of Christian virtues. For Saint Thomas Aquinas , education was the path to follow for humankind in its quest to obtain full knowledge of its Being and its close relationship with God, for education represents formative knowledge, and without it, humanity is nothing.
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 Aquinas to the field of economics are framed within the perspective of the practical application of Christian ethics and social morality. These two aspects are prominent in his writings, particularly in his most widely discussed 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 of Saint Thomas Aquinas coincided with the theories held by other Christian philosophers, such as Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose , who believed that the material should not come before the spiritual, since Christian values should prevail, and before great riches and material goods, the love of God should be a priority.
Regarding private property, both Saint Thomas Aquinas and other great thinkers of that time questioned the movement of markets and their activities, and agreed on the point that goods should be common.
According to what Saint Thomas Aquinas established in his writings , Christians had the moral duty to pay more attention to how to use their own goods, instead of worrying about material things that they do not have, or that others have, a foundation expressed by Christian doctrine.
During the 13th century, everything related to the economy and the market was gaining momentum, 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 idea that one's own property can be put to better use than common property, a principle expressed by Aristotle in his time. This meant that people took better care of what they considered their own than what belonged to everyone. Today, this principle is the main foundation 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 economic contributions of Saint Thomas Aquinas had a significant influence on its practices, since until the beginning of the 19th century, parishioners were forbidden from engaging in financial activities involving lending at interest. This also explains why many bankers of that time were Jewish. If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to explore our blog on Christian values .
