Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) was a medieval Italian philosopher, theologian, and Dominican friar. He is recognized as the leading theological authority within the Roman Catholic Church—his philosophies regarding human rights and natural law, derived from Aristotelianism, prevail at the heart of the Catholic canon even today.
Aquinas is regarded as the greatest medieval figure of scholasticism. He reconciled the faith of Christian theology with Aristotelian reason. His incomplete Summa Theologica (1266–73) made intellectual arguments for the existence of God based on reason and observation—Aquinas’s “five proofs” are generally seen as sincere arguments for the reality of God.
Aquinas wrote some 60 works; in addition to his theological writings, Aquinas wrote such philosophical works as On Being and Essence (De ente et essentia, ad fratres socios, 1252–56,) On the Principles of Nature (De principiis naturae ad fratrem Sylvestrum, c.1255,) and Disputed Questions on Truth (Quaestiones disputatae de Veritate, 1256–59.) Aquinas’s many commentaries on Aristotle introduced Aristotelianism to Christian Western Europe.
Aquinas died on a journey to a church council in Lyons after being knocked from his donkey when it scurried under a low tree limb. According to legend, the donkey died of regret.
Aquinas was canonized in 1323; his feast day is January 28.
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Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy.
—Thomas Aquinas
Those who are more adapted to the active life can prepare themselves for contemplation in the practice of the active life, while those who are more adapted to the contemplative life can take upon themselves the works of the active life so as to become yet more apt for contemplation.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Action
Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.
—Thomas Aquinas
He who is dying of hunger must be fed rather than taught.
—Thomas Aquinas
Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him.
—Thomas Aquinas
Well-ordered self-love is right and natural.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Love
Not everything that is more difficult is more meritorious.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Perspective
I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Compassion, One liners
Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.
—Thomas Aquinas
Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand.
—Thomas Aquinas
Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man’s own will.
—Thomas Aquinas
By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Equality
Beware of the person of one book.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Books, Reading
Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind which binds the passion.
—Thomas Aquinas
Topics: Character
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