ST THOMAS AQUINAS

Thomas Aquinas was one of the most famous philosophers and theologians of his
time. He was also one of the most influential religious figures of the Middle Ages. Aquinas is
considered a follower of Aristotle, and he managed to combine in his works the religious and
philosophical views of his predecessor.
Thomas Aquinas was born in Italy in 1224. His father had the title of count and lived
in a castle near Naples. The family wanted Thomas to become an abbot at a monastery not far
from the castle. At the age of five, the boy was sent to a Benedictine monastery and lived
there for almost ten years. Later, he was accepted to study at the university for four years.
There, Thomas Aquinas got acquainted with the teachings of the Dominicans and, at the end
of his studies, decided to join their order.
But Aquinas’ decision violated the family’s plans, and the future philosopher was
kidnapped. Thomas was imprisoned in a fortress, where he spent two long years. In 1245,
after Aquinas was released, he still became a member of the Dominican Order. He then went
to study at the University of Paris, where he became a student of Albert the Great.
Three years later, the future famous theologian, together with his teacher, went to the
university in Cologne, where he spent two years. Finally, he returned to the Dominican
monastery in 1252, but just four years later he was sent to teach theology at the University of
Paris, where his first works appeared.
 The Apotheosis of St. Thomas of Aquino, Francisco de Zurbarán, 1631
In 1259, Aquinas was called by the Pope to Rome and was appointed as an adviser on
theological issues. Thomas spent the next decade teaching in Anagni and Rome. In parallel,
he was working on theological and philosophical writings. In 1269, Aquinas again found
himself in Paris, where he fought with Siger of Brabant and with the Arab interpreters of the
teachings of Aristotle. Thomas ensured that the works of Aristotle, translated by the Arabs,
were banned.
In 1272, the famous treatise On the Unity of the Intellect Against the Averroists was
published. Then, the philosopher was asked to come to Italy, where he was appointed as head
of the new Dominican school in Naples. But a year later, Aquinas was forced to leave
teaching due to poor health.
In 1274, Thomas Aquinas was supposed to attend a church council, but he died on the
way there. In 1277, the Archbishop of Paris recognized some of the works of Thomas
Aquinas as heretical; the philosopher was accused of excessive intellectualism. But despite
all, the interest in his works only increased until the entire Catholic world recognized him.
Thomas Aquinas began to be called the Prince of Philosophers and the Angel of the Schools.
In 1323, the Pope canonized Thomas Aquinas. His memory is honored on January 28.
Today, the relics of the saint are in Toulouse.
 AQUINAS ON MATTER AND FORM

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Author unknown, 1690-1695

Even though St Thomas Aquinas sought to reconcile faith and knowledge, he considered the
mystical path of knowledge to be more significant. If a contradiction arises between faith and
reason in some positions, it means that reason is mistaken because faith, based on Divine
revelation, cannot be mistaken. But most often, the philosopher believed, contradictions arise
not because philosophy is mistaken but because philosophers cannot correctly apply reason to
religion.
Thomas Aquinas himself knew how to use the achievements of philosophy to explain the
questions of the universe without conflicting with religious teachings. To explain being, he
largely used Aristotle’s theory of form and matter. Every existing thing is a unity of form and
matter. Matter itself is non-specified, and objects exist only because of form. The form is the
final cause of everything. The individuality of things and phenomena appears due to the
combination of the principle of form and constantly oscillating unstable matter.
The matter is the “weakest form of being,” the furthest from Divine grace. This definition of
Thomas Aquinas became fundamental in scholastic science and shaped its attitude towards
matter. God is the only true being. Everything else is created by Him, and all objects are
manifestations of His essence. There is a hierarchy of beings; on the upper step, closest to
God, are the angels. But they do not have independence either, and they are also the Creator’s
inventions.
Reference: Viktoriya, S. (2023). Who Was St Thomas Aquinas? The Key Ideas of the
Philosophy of Thomism. Retrieved from https://www.thecollector.com/st-thomas-aquinas-
philosophy-thomism/