Aquinas[1]

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

-born to a noble family, but didnt go for it...
- became a prelate at age 17
-spent the rest of his life in study and writing...

- incredibly influential....

AquinasOnKingship[2]

GeneralnoteonAquinas:Wehavetofinessehisbiasesasaservantofthe
RCchurch
Iwill(tryto)notewhenthismattersandwhenitdoesnt...
Hisofficialpositionis:

GodGovernstheUniversebyhisProvidence [fromsummacontragentiles]

whichmightseemtocommithimtoTheocracy
Itdoesnt(cf.Augustine)butitdoesbiashiminthatdirection
Obviouslythequestionofhowtheologyisrelatedtopoliticalphilosophywill
beamainone.Standby...

OnKingship

HereAquinasisgivingadvicetoanactualruler(thekingofCyprus)

Bothhistheologicalbiasandhisconnectionwiththerulerinquestion
mightbiashiminhisargument...justsomethingtobearinmind.

AquinasonKingship

[3]

MeninSocietyMustBeunderRulers
So: why must men be under rulers?
1. A ship must have a helmsman

[a ship wouldnt get to its destination if not guided by a helsman]

Q: is society a ship??
- reasons why we should not think so:
- society is a whole lot of people
- each is going various places
- theyre not all going the same place
- But ships necessarily go one way at a time...
- society doesnt have a unified set of sails, oars, etc.

Aquinas

[4]

man has an end toward which all his actions are directed, being an
intelligent being

So man needs someone to direct him

[Problems:
- back to the Aristotelian mistake: each man has an end (or a lot of ends)
toward which he directs his actions
not: we all have the same end toward which one super-ruler can direct us...
man is by nature a political and social animal
he cannot provide for his life alone
[Agreed. That argues for social order of some sort - but why Political?
Not so obvious ...!]

Aquinas

[5]

2. Itisntpossibleforonepersonalonetoknoweverythingby

unaidedreason.
[Classtelluswhatswrongwiththatone!]

3.insociety,peoplecanhelpeachother
[right.Butdotheyneedgovernmenttodothis??]
[e.g.,howdoesknowledgegrow?

3a.Bybothindividualandcooperativeresearch.
Willthisbepromotedbyaking?
isitevenpromotedbytheDean??!

Aquinas

[6]

CommunityBreakup
4.Ifeachprovidesonlywhatisconvenientforhimself,thegroupwould
breakupunlessonehadresponsibilityforthewhole.
so?
Privategoodandthecommongoodarenotthesame
Aquinas:privategooddividesthecommunity,whereascommonconcerns
uniteit.
doeshemeanprivategoodssuchasfriedeggsandscubadiving?
ormurderandarson?
i)thefirstsortdontseemtobeaproblem
wedohaveacommoninterestingettingourseparateprivategoods
achieved
marketexchange,e.g.,forwardsthis

Aquinas

[7]

CommunityBreakup

ii)criminalactionisindeedaproblem,butprivacyisnotthesourceofit!
(murderisaninterpersonalevil,notagood.
Ordoeshemean,themurdererthinksitsgoodforhimself?
True:butpublicmurder(say,war)isevenworse!
b)and,sowhat?
thebreakupwhichisjustdifferentpeopledoingdifferentthingsis
arguablygood,notbad]

Aquinas

[8]

ineachthingwefindasuperiorpartthatrules;
likewiseinagroup,theremustbesomethingthatrules.
[justwhathisfriendtherulerwantstohear!
butdotreeshavesuperiorpartsthatrule?]
AndifweallweremovedtotheCG,wouldweneedaking??
Wecanseewhatscoming:whatmoveseveryonetothecommongoodis
theGovernment,right?
Andregardingthemovingpoint,AquinasisgoingtoclaimthatLawdoes
this
andthatLawisRational.
[Comment:Well,eachofusisrational,though.
MaybetheressomethingineachofusthatmovesustotheCommonGood,
withouthavingtohaveaKingdoitforus!

Aquinas

[9]

Theproperendofagroupoffreemenisdifferentfromthatofagroup
ofslaves
Thatisbecause,ashenotes,thefreedeterminetheirownactions,whereasa
slave,quaslave,belongstoanother.
Where,then,dowegofromhere?
AquinasnowproposesthatIfarulerdirectshissubjectstothecommongood,
thatisrightbecauseappropriate
whereasifheaimsathisowngood,thatistyrannyunjustandperverse.
(Heastutelynotesthattyrannybyafew,orbymany,forthatmatter,isalso
possible.)

Aquinas

[10]

3b.besideswhatmoveseachtohisownprivategood,theremustbe
somethingthatmoveseveryonetothecommongoodofthemany.
Note:Adistinctionisneededhere:between
3b.i.somethingmoveseveryonetothecommongood
3b.ii:somethingmoveseveryonetohaveaviewofthecommongood....
Thesearedecidedlynotthesameunless
(a)ii=i,and
(b)iigivesustherightdirectionsre(i)
butsurelyitmightnot!
example:thefreemarket.
Herepeopledontactwithaviewtothecommongood
buttheyachieveitanyway,
and(arguably)betterthanwithsocial(nottomentionpolitical!)direction....

Aquinas

[11]

TheEndofSociety
1.Argument:Whenthingsareorderedtosomeend,thereisarightanda
wrong
waytoproceed;
likewisewithgovernment
[but,reminder:Theproperendofagroupoffreemenisdifferentfromthat
ofa
groupofslaves
(recall:Thefreedeterminetheirownactions,whereasaslave,
quaslave,belongstoanother)

Aquinas

[12]

2.TheDifferencebetweenJustandUnjustRulers:
Ifarulerdirectshissubjectstothecommongood,thatisright
becauseappropriate
whereasifheaimsathisowngood,thatis
tyrannyunjustandperverse.[recallThrasymachus]
[note:Tyrannybyafew,orbythemob,isalsopossible.Butforthesame
(Aristotelian)reason:therulerorrulersseekshisortheirowngoodatthe
expenseoftheruled.]

[Question:ishesimplyassumingtheabove?Orishearguingforit?]

Aquinas

[13]

3.BetterOneRulerorMany?
argument:Communitywelfarerequires
unityinwhatwecallpeace
nopeace,nobeneficiallife.
Sothemostimportantresponsibilityoftheruleris:
toachieveunityinpeace.
>Thatwhichisalreadyitselfonecanpromoteunitybetter
>So,governmentbyoneisbetterthanbymany
[Doesitfollow?RecallAristotleagainstPlato:toomuchunityisnotwanted..]
[Q:Whatifyoucouldhavedisunityinpeace?]

Aquinas

[14]

4.GovernmentisNatural:
1)Whateveraccordswithnatureisbest
2)bynaturegovernmentisbyoneastheheartmovesbody(other
cases:Queenbees,andGod,theMakerandRulerofall)
[Aquinasdoesnotmentionherdsofcows,coloniesofbirds,andsoon
wherestheleaderthere?
[Inanycase,whyshoulditmatterwhatnaturedoes?

Aquinas

[15]

TheproblemofTyranny
[?]Whatifthisonerulerisabadone?(atyrant...)
Thetyrantusesforcetooppressinsteadofjusticetorule.
(aswevenotedalready,Peoplecanbeoppressedalsobyafew,asinoligarchy,orby
themob,usingtheforceofnumberstooppresstherichthuseventhewholepeoplecan
beguiltyoftyranny.

[right:thatsacautiontodemocrats...]

WhattodoaboutTyranny?

Acommunitymustdoitsbesttoavoidgivingtheruletoonewhowillbecomeatyrant.
Butwhatdowedoifhedoesbecomeone?
Ifthetyrannyisnotextreme,itisbettertotolerateit
[why?Becausetakingactionmaybeevenworse
(1)Evenifoppositiontothetyrantprevails,theretendtobedeepdivisionsinthe
populace
whichdividesintorivalgroups.
(2)Andtheonewhoaidsthecommunityinoverthrowingthetyrant,veryoften,
becomeshimselfastillworseone.]

AquinasonKingship [16]

Whatifthetyrannyisunbearable?
Somesaythatthebraveshouldthenriskdeathtoridthecommunityofhim.
YetthisisnotinaccordwithApostolicteaching.
[oh,right,yeah....]
St.Peterteachesustobesubjectnotonlytogoodandtemperaterulers,buttoill
temperedonestoo.
[well,bullyforSt.Paul!]
Forconsiderthatmenwhowouldmakegoodassassinsareunlikelytomakegoodkings.
important,andtrue...
thebestsolutionisnotbyprivateactionofafewbutbyproceedingthroughpublic
authority.
Thecommunitytogethermaydeposethekingorrestricthispower;evenifitagreedto
obeyhimforever,thisdoesnotbindthemifheabuseshispowerbybecominga
tyrant
Q:wheredoesthisleaveus??
[Troubleis,thetyrantisthepublicauthority!
theresaproblemhere....!]

Aquinas

[17]

LetshearitforthePriests!:
Spiritualguidanceisneededtodirectmantotheportofeternallife
EternalbeatitudewithGodistheendofawholesociety.
(Ifthatendwerehealth,doctorswouldrule;ifwealth,abusiness
executive;ifknowledge,ascholar.
But,beingwhatitis,weneedapriest!)

Theendofhumansocietyisthevirtuouslife.
UndertheNewLaw[ofChrist],kingsshouldbesubjecttopriests.

[imaginethat!
[Andanacademicmightsay:kingsshouldbesubjecttoPhDs!]
....

Aquinas

[18]

TheKingDirectstothegoodLife
Dutyoftheking:promotethegoodlifeofthecommunity
sothatitleadstohappinessinheaven
[Q:isthattherealreason??]
Whatisrequiredfortheindividualsgoodlife:
(1)virtue,and
(2)asufficiencyofmaterialgoods
whichisnecessaryforvirtuousaction[cf.Aristotle...].
[Comment:thatsagoodshotatit...buthowaboutsociallife,etc?
Art?Sport?Ordothoseallcomewiththesecond?]
[disagreementaboutthiscouldleadtopoliticaldisagreement....

Aquinas

[19]

Whatisrequiredforthegoodlifeofagroup:

First,peace
Secondactingwellbythecommunity
Thirdasufficiencyofnecessities

Questions:
(a)aretheseintherightorder?
[Asuggestion:First,Third,Second[onthegroundthatwealthforall
supportspeaceandenablesactingwellbythecommunity...]

Aquinas

[20]

Peace

>butperhapspeaceisnecessaryandsufficientforsufficiency
(1)Peaceallowsmentoengageinworkandexchange
thispromotesprosperity
(2)Alsotoformclubs,associations,churches,etc.

Aquinas

[21]

(2)Actingwellbythecommunity?
whatisthat?
[Isntthisdirectiontopeace??]
[notreproducedinouranthology:theexampleofcommunityfestivals
And:tennisclubs,symphonyconcerts,marathonruns....
Question:mightntNGOsdoabetterjobatthat?
Question:iscentralizedcommunitydirectionnecessaryforthis?
thatsthemainquestion...
Note:itseasytoseewhygovernmentswouldwanttogetintotheact
butshouldthey??
Aquinasargumentsdontproveit
atanyratenotyet!

Aquinas

[22]

Sufficiency

(3)whyonlysufficiency?Howaboutwealth?
arguable:wealthcausespeaceandactingwellbycommunity
(ontheonehand,wealthenablespeopletoaffordmoreexpensive
meansofwar
Ontheother,theyundercutthemotivetoit...)
[Monksmaythinkthatnotverymuchisenough!
Butdowe??
[AquinasseemstobefollowingAristotle(bigsurprise!)inthinking
thatitsfairlyeasytohavetoomuchwealthandthatthatsbad...
Isheright??]

AquinasonKingship [23]

SummingupOnKingship
(1)claimsthatweneedgovernment
(2)thatmonarchyisbetter(moreunity)
(3)thattyrannyisevil
(4)butweshouldntdotoomuchtoresistit..
(5)whatgovernmentsoughttodoispromote
peace,community,andwealth(inthatorder)