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Lecture 25 Aquinas and Bonaventure

Dr. Ann T. Orlando28 October 2014

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Introduction

Predecessors Anselm Lombard Albert

Aquinas Bonaventure

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St. Anselm (1033 -1109) Archbishop of Canterbury Fides Quaerens Intellectum (Faith seeking

understanding, which he gets from Augustine) Ontological argument for existence of God,

“that than which no greater can be thought” Cur Deus Homo (Why God became man)

Advanced theory of satisfaction for Jesus’ death Based on feudal notion of honor, justice and social

status Only God-man can satisfy the affront to God’s honor

due to original sin; as man he has the obligation to satisfy; as God he is able to satisfy

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St. Peter Lombard (1100-1160) Professor of theology of Cathedral

School of Notre Dame and Archbishop of Paris

Wrote Sentences (1150) as a way to organize teaching of the Church Fathers to explicate Catholic teaching

Most influential text in Middle Ages Required that all Masters of Theology write

a commentary on Sentences Lombard became was known as the

Magister

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Sentences

Organized in four Books God and the Trinity Creation Incarnation and Redemption Sacraments

In 13th C Books subdivided into “distinctiones” (breaks in reading)

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St. Albert the Great (1200 – 1280) and Aristotle Born in Germany, study in Italy, entered the

Dominicans, taught at University of Paris Life-long study of Aristotle, including

development of paraphrases of Aristotle's major works

Keenly interested in natural world and natural theology using Aristotelian methods

Detailed translation and commentary on Aristotle’s Organum

Advanced theory of universals as existing in themselves but also as constructs of human mind

Anthropology and Ethics based on Aristotle Teacher of Thomas Aquinas

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St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Born in Italy, studied in Italy and Paris

Dominican Student and professor at

University of Paris Key Influences

Albert the Great Church Fathers Aristotle Earlier Aristotelian

commentators, especially Averroes and Maimonides

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Thomas AquinasAngelic Doctor Developed systematic approach to theology using

Aristotelian methods (Aristotle as the Philosopher in the Summa)

Relied on newly available Greek works from Jewish and Moslem sources; Moses Maimonides, Averrhoes

Very different from theological approach; Aristotelian rather than neo-Platonic

Emphasis on causes Emphasis on categories

Needed to show that his theological conclusions were consistent with Augustine;

until he did so he was considered radical and suspect Two great works: Summa Theologica (theological) or

Theologiae (theology); Summa Contra Gentiles But he also wrote beautiful songs, especially in praise of

Eucharist (one of which we sing at Benediction, and another during Holy Thursday)

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The Structure of the Summa Theologiae

Divided into Three Parts; the Second Part further divided Part I and Part II Each Part divided into Questions

Each Question divided into Articles Each Article includes a

Statement, Objections and Replies

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Ia IIae Q90 a1 (In English: First Part of Second Part, Question 90, Article 1)

Whether law is something pertaining to reason?

Objection 1. It would seem that law is not something pertaining to reason. For the Apostle says (Rm. 7:23)…

Objection 2. Further, in the reason there is nothing else but power, habit, and act. But law is not the power itself of reason…

Objection 3. Further, the law moves those who are subject to it to act aright. But it belongs properly to the will to move to act…

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Ia IIae Q90 a1 (cont.)

On the contrary, It belongs to the law to command and to forbid. But it belongs to reason to command, as stated above (17, 1). Therefore law is something pertaining to reason.

I answer that, Law is a rule and measure of acts, whereby man is induced to act or is restrained from acting: for "lex" [law] is derived from "ligare" [to bind], because it binds one to act. Now the rule and measure of human acts is the reason, which is the first principle of human acts, as is evident from what has been stated above (1, 1, ad 3); since it belongs to the reason to direct to the end, which is the first principle in all matters of action, according to the Philosopher (Phys. ii). Now that which is the principle in any genus, is the rule and measure of that genus: for instance, unity in the genus of numbers, and the first movement in the genus of movements. Consequently it follows that law is something pertaining to reason.

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Ia IIae Q90 a1 (cont.) Reply to Objection 1. Since law is a kind of rule

and measure, it may be in something in two ways….

Reply to Objection 2. Just as, in external action, we may consider the work and the work done, for instance the work of building and the house built; so in the acts of reason, we may consider the act itself of reason, i.e. to understand and to reason, and something produced by this act…

Reply to Objection 3. Reason has its power of moving from the will, as stated above (17, 1): for it is due to the fact that one wills the end, that the reason issues its commands as regards things ordained to the end…

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Example: Definition of Virtue ST Ia IIae Q55 Reconcile two very different definitions of virtue

But both Aristotle and Augustine start their discussion of virtue with how man can be happy

Aristotle: Virtue then is a settled disposition of the mind determining the choice of actions and emotions, consisting essentially in the observance of the mean relative to us, this being determined by principle, that is, as the prudent man would determine it. Nicomachean Ethics

Virtue is a balance, as determined by a prudent man Virtues divided into intellectual and moral Virtue can (with difficulty) be acquired through the practice of good habits

Augustine: Virtue is a good quality of the mind, by which we live righteously, of which no one can make bad use, which God brings about in us, without us. On Free Will

Virtue is a gift of God (grace) All virtues are derived from Christian charity

Aquinas (see ST Ia IIae 55.4 on definition of virtue) Infused and acquired virtue ST Iae IIae Q 63 Importance of prudence ST IIa IIae Q 47 – 56

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Example: TransubstantiationST IIIa Q75 a 1-8 Relies on Aristotle’s The Categories

Philosophical idea of substance, accidents Substance: what things really are, their essence Accidents: how they appear to senses, properties that

are incidental, weight, color, taste Augustine has bad things to say about The

Categories in Confessions (IV.28-31) According to Aquinas Christ becomes fully

present in the Eucharist when the material substance of bread and wine is

transformed into His own spiritual substance only the accidents (color, texture, taste) of the

bread and wine remain Explains doctrine of transubstantiation

from Lateran IV (1215)

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Adoro Te Devoteby Thomas Aquinas

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adoreMasked by these bare shadows, shape and

nothing more,See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heartLost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.

From CCC translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins

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Bonaventure (1221-1274) Student and professor at University of

Paris when Aquinas was there Becomes head of Franciscans shortly

after Francis Describes Franciscan way of life in

philosophical terms Very dependent on Augustine

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Itinerarium or Journey of the Mind to God

Written for a student retreat Details steps of spiritual progress

Mimics pilgrimage itinerary Approach God by leaving world

behind Franciscan spirituality in an apophatic

key

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Later Opposition to Scholasticism 14th and 15th C Nominalism and Linguistics

Philosophical rejection of scholasticism, primarily from Franciscans

Renaissance scholars who want to return to original sources and a study of language over philosophy

16th C Reformation Rejection of doctrines derived from Scholastic

theology Return to ‘only’ source: Scripture

17th C Scientific Revolution Reject Aristotle-Ptolemy astronomical model Reject Aristotelian methods in favor or new

methods , Bacon and Novum Organum

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Assignments Aquinas,

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/ , either Natural Law, Ia IIae Q90 – 97 Virtue, Ia IIae Q55 and IIa IIae Q23

Bonaventure, Itinerarium http://web.sbu.edu/theology/apczynski/courses/CLAR%20101%20Intellectual%20Journey/Itinerarium/Table%20of%20contents.htm