POLI 107 1st Edition Lecture 8 Christian Political Theory II Trends During the Middle Ages the Church became a prominent source of learning and philosophy The Church also became increasingly involved in secular politics The doctrine of the two swords remained dominant but tensions between the Church and secular authorities were on the rise The Church consolidated its supervisory role Saint Thomas Aquinas During the 13th century a new wave of scholasticism swept across Europe The Church was no longer the dominant source of learning Its authority was also being challenged again by secular rulers St Thomas Aquinas sought to modernize Church doctrine rehabilitating the classics and acknowledging the importance of political power to Christian living Aquinas wrote when philosophy was becoming an accepted part of theology He modifies CPT by embracing a logical scientific method to reveal truths found in Scripture as well as the natural world around us Reason grounded in faith is integral to both fields of study they are both the product of the divine mind Key Principles o Human ends are otherworldly achieved through a virtuous life on earth o Virtue reflects God s will which is why we need to study the divine mind o Without insight into God s moral standards eternal life and ultimate happiness will elude us God s will is expressed in law which directs us toward particular ends At the broadest level God orders the universe and all things within across the expanse of eternity This is eternal law and we know it through revealed truth Divine law directs us toward our supernatural heavenly end toward salvation It conveys what is universally good and true Like eternal law we know divine law through revelation Natural law is the means through which rational creatures share in divine providence on earth It reflects God s will because God created the rules according to which all natural things develop Aquinas approach to natural law is innovative the natural world is morally significant in a way that Augustine and other Christian thinkers did not appreciate We not only have an otherworldly end but we also have a natural earthly end that is also an expression of God s will Aquinas argument that natural truths reflect the divine mind directs reason to investigate what we can know of God from the material world Aquinas shares Aristotle s natural teleology everything in nature pursues its natural end but he differs because this end reflects God s earthly plan All the contemplation in the world will never bridge the gap between what God is and what we can observe with the senses or deduce with our minds Aquinas cautions that we must not let reason make us too prideful Reason rivals neither faith nor revelation for insight into God s will Error resides with reason Reason is still an important component of Aquinas pursuit of the divine mind Reason allows us to achieve a more perfect existence because it helps us understand the ends we seek and how we should obtain them Reason may be used to fill the gaps in revelation and empower us to study nature Aquinas shared Aristotle s emphasis on natural harmony all things pursue their particular natural ends Also akin to Aristotle Aquinas derives from nature humanity s natural sociability o God has instilled within us an innate concern for our fellow man o We also require authority to mitigate the social effects to sin and ensure survival The city is the highest form of association because it can do the most to promote the common good and virtue amongst the citizenry due to its scale and its institutions namely human law Human law must adhere to the commands of natural and divine law directing us toward our earthly and divine ends Human excellence however is not purely a function of the city Christians are first united under the cosmopolis of divine providence and the human potential for excellence is granted by God through his grace Human association is but a subordinate means toward our ultimate ends It does not guarantee salvation Also cities are human creations products of human reasoning subject to error The moral quality of the city will vary according to statesmen and their laws There is a difference between theory and practice in what the state can do for the sake of human perfection and happiness Aquinas rehabilitation of Aristotle brings elements of his social man into CPT which were previously absent The city no longer purely instrumental but a divinely inspired community achieving cooperation among men for the purposes of virtue and fulfilment Good government enables the simultaneous pursuit of earthly happiness and salvation Aquinas revolutionizes CPT to include the notion that the state plays an essential role in realizing humanity s moral ends which reflect God s natural and revealed truths Aquinas Preferred Govt Monarchy rule by one is preferable to rule by many This reflects his concern over the general tendency toward wickedness found in most people Rule by many therefore will more likely degenerate into a tyranny of the majority Positive law human law o It is chiefly needed because humans are sinful Natural law an expression of the divine mind found in the natural world o Humans can discern natural law but we can also make mistakes due to human frailty Positive law represents the practical application of natural law to particular circumstances directed towards the common good Positive vs Natural Law Positive law varies from place to place in part because circumstances differ but also because of human error in the application of natural law Positive law may not bind associations together when positive law diverges from natural law This leads Aquinas to rejects authority based upon bad laws but he does not advocate revolution We have a Godly duty to obey secular authority This linkage between natural law and positive law also implies a subordinate relationship between the temporal ends of man and the divine ends of man Reason requires assistance from grace so secular rulers should appeal to spiritual authorities to help perfect their laws From the Reader In Aquinas treatment of the types of laws he explains why we need divine law o Because of the uncertainty of human judgment it is certain that such a law cannot err 147 o We need divine law not because of a deficiency of desire but because of natural frailties that can obstruct us Those who need to be coerced can possibly become habituated to behave virtuously of their own accord Though law