ST. AUGUSTINE AND ST.THOMAS AQUINAS ON MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY IS THEOLOGY

ST. AUGUSTINE AND ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ON MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY IS THEOLOGY

 In the Medieval period, there were two notable thinkers who addressed the tension between faith and reason.  These were St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. They approached the issue of faith and reason by attempting to reconcile the two in one’s pursuit of wisdom.  St. Augustine attempts to resolve this issue by treating Philosophy as Christian Theology, while St. Thomas treats Philosophy as Natural Theology.  Each will be discussed in turn.

 A.)   St. Augustine: Philosophy is Christian Theology.

St. Augustine, in his work entitled “City of God”, gives a presentation of what is Philosophy for him. In his work, he shows that Philosophy is Christian Theology. This is based on his discussions on the philosophies of the Pre-Socratics down to Plato. 

 a.)    Chapter 2: Philosophy is the study of the nature of being and existence.

In the second chapter of the eighth book in St. Augustine’s work entitled City of God, he shows a particular way in which he presents Philosophy.  In this chapter, St. Augustine presents Philosophy as the study of the nature of being and existence. He shows this by his elaborate presentation of the ideas of the Pre-Socratics.

In this chapter, St. Augustine first discusses the Italic school which had the famous Pythagoras as the founder.  St. Augustine recognizes the contribution of Pythagoras of treating Philosophy as a way to become better human beings, and a reflective endeavor rather than speculation of things in the world.  St. Augustine recognizes the Pythagoreans depicting Philosophy as a way of life; however, he sets aside these thinkers, for he was more preoccupied with the Ionic school.

                St. Augustine then discussed the Ionic school, which consisted of the famous Pre-Socratics: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Diogenes, and Archelaus. Let us first discuss the concepts made by these thinkers before we see them in relation to the premise.

Thales presented the notion of water as the source of all things in the world.  He justifies this reason with the three states of water to account for the different things in the world, namely, water being in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state.  Indeed, Thales presented a good reason for water being the origin of the things in the world, but St. Augustine criticizes this thought.  This criticism by St. Augustine, according to the book Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, states that Thales failed to account the “divine” aspect in the origin of the things in the world [1]. This is quite true, for if Thales really wanted to consider water as the origin of “all”, then he should have not excluded the immaterial things, such as the ones that are “divine”.  This is the same mistake which Anaximander also made in his concept of the “apeiron” or “boundless”.  This is because the mere fact that everything in this world springs forth from an eddy, which produces the different things in the world by a cyclical process of an alternate dissolution and regeneration, gives the assumption that it excludes the possibility of a “divine” aspect.  It excludes the possibility of something which is “divine” because a “cycle” presupposes “eternity”.  “Eternity” for one thing, has no need for a “creator” for it is capable of operating without any external principle to govern it. 

Anaximenes, who was the student of Anaximander, started the advancement concerning the problem of the origin of everything in the world.  This advancement was his notion of theology, although it was not explicitly stated in his concept.  Anaximenes held the position that the source of all things was air, and that things were produced by the change of quantity in air.  His notion of theology is expressed by his account of neither denying nor ignoring the existence of gods.  The mere fact that Anaximenes did not debunk the thought of a “divine” thing gives the possibility that he acknowledges the presence of such, in relation to his concept of air as the first principle. This notion is considered to be an advancement from the previous thinkers since it does not only resolve the problem of “how” and “what” the things were made of.  Rather, it also provided “why” such things were made, which resolves the confusion of the additional principles involved in the transformation of things.

This confusion of additional principles can be found in Thales’ account of water as the origin of things, since water needed to be either exposed to either hotness or coldness for it to change its phase.  This then makes Thales’ water as the “first principle” to be wrong, since it needed other “principles” for it to change its phase, namely the “principles” of “hotness” and “coldness”.  Therefore, Anaximenes, by indirectly recognizing the “divine” was able to give a solid foundation concerning the origin of things by providing “why” such things came to be.

The advancement started by Anaximenes was adapted by his successors, Anaxagoras and Diogenes. Anaxagoras, who claimed earth as the origin of things, gave the explicit recognition of a “divine” mind to account for the different things that came from the element of earth.  Earth, being a static, stable element, naturally needed another factor which can account for the dynamism required for the creation of things.  The “divine” mind is a necessary factor in this notion.   Diogenes, on the other hand, also recognized the “divine” mind. However, he did not establish a dichotomy between the “divine” and the material principle.  Instead, he considered the material principle and the “divine” as one.  Diogenes held the position that everything came from air, which also had the characteristic of a “divine” reason that explains the difference in the things in the world. 

The last of these thinkers was Anaxagoras’ successor and Socrates’ teacher, Archelaus, who recognized the notion of a “divine” mind.  Archelaus held the position that things consist of homogeneous particles that were guided by a “divine” mind, which in turn animated all eternal bodies or those particles, making them alternately united and separated.

The advancement and flow of ideas and concepts of the Pre-Socratics as presented by St. Augustine paints the picture of the premise concerning Philosophy: that it is a study of the nature of being and existence.  This is depicted by the Ionic School and its founders who focused on speculating the nature of things and their origin.  Their preoccupations on wanting to know what things are made of, why they are made, and how they came to be implies that their philosophizing aimed at wanting to know the nature of the things around them, in terms of their properties and their origin.

This said speculation of the nature of things and their origin usually involves something that is material.  In this speculation of the material origins, St. Augustine observed that something “material” alone cannot account for change or the differences between things. Relying on material principles would either contradict the principle or disprove it altogether. This gives the implication that St. Augustine was searching for a part of the study of the nature of being and existence which concerned the divine.

b.)    Chapter 3: Philosophy is the study of the correction and regulation of manners.

In the third chapter of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God, he presents to us the picture of Philosophy in light of his presentation of the Socratic Philosophy.  Philosophy, based on this chapter, is the study of the correction and regulation of manners.  St. Augustine shows this in his presentation of Socratic philosophy and its aim on attaining the “chief good” or summum bonum.

Socrates, in this chapter, focused his thought of the “knowledge of things” towards the correction and regulation of manners in one’s life. He showed Philosophy as an instrument for evaluating one’s moral principles in life.  This aim by Socrates was unique from his predecessors, who solely focused on the natural, physical world in their reflection and speculation.

Socrates focused more on how one would pattern his life in pursuit of that “chief good”, which he believed as a prerequisite to a blessed life.  For Socrates, having a blessed life would make it possible for an individual to have a “purified understanding” of things.  This “purified understanding” refers to enlightenment. This enlightenment points out to a higher understanding of things outside the material principles. This refers to the understanding and knowledge of a “cause” which gives meaning for one’s action and existence in this world.  This notion of a “cause” in Socrates’ philosophy is identified by St. Augustine as God.  God, being that “cause” which prevents the absurdity in one’s actions and existence, justifies further the need of a “purified” understanding, since His “pureness” can only be comprehended and understood by a mind that is “purified”.  

However, this notion presented by Socrates concerning Philosophy is criticized by St. Augustine. This criticism is in terms of the reason why Socrates proposed for such way of treating Philosophy.  According to Gyula Klima, in his book entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, St. Augustine stated that it was not certainly known if Socrates’ purpose for such a treatment in Philosophy is due to the fact that he is uncertain of some things, and so he wished to invest himself into something which can provide him with certainty; or that he was aiming to develop in men some kind of a “purified understanding” which lets them see the causes of all created natures, that is said to be incorporeal and unchangeable [2].

         Although Socrates’ origin of this new movement in Philosophy has uncertain reasons, it cannot be denied that the common point of these identified reasons concerns the examination of the foundation of one’s knowledge about things.  These “knowledge about things” covers all the categories of one’s attained knowledge, including the way one lives his life.  This is assumed to be what is called the “chief good” or summum bonum, which is said to be able to make a man’s life blessed.   The chief good is something which should be man’s greatest or highest purpose in life.

      Concerning this notion, St. Augustine gives another critique on Socrates’ philosophy.  His critique revolved around the idea that although Socrates directed the effort of Philosophy in this “chief good”, he never arrived at a conviction regarding this “chief good”.  This then brings about the problem of how his disciples like Aristippus and Antisthenes interpreted his thoughts.  The former thought of the chief good as pleasure while the latter, as virtue.  Socrates died leaving a vague concept on the “chief good.”  But it has to be noted that Socrates had shown efforts on understanding morals in the light of something divine.  However, he was not able to fully articulate this when he was alive.

          St. Augustine’s critiques showed that Philosophy, indeed, is the study of the correction and the regulation of manners.  This is seen in the way he evaluated the aims and reasons of Socratic philosophy in directing its efforts towards the “chief good”.  St. Augustine also presented some strength and weakness of Socratic Philosophy.  The strength concerned on the aim of Socratic philosophy to correct and regulate manners through good morals. However, Socrates was quite confused on such on the basis that such was uncertain as good morals relate to eternal things and requires a purified mind.  Socrates was unwilling to delve into this.  Thus, he shifted his thoughts towards something manifest and certain.  This shift led to the weakness of his philosophy, as it had not resolved the issue of what is really the “chief good.”  Thus, because of this, his disciples had varied interpretations of his thoughts.

 c.)    Chapter 4: Philosophy is the study of wisdom in action and contemplation.

In the fourth chapter of the eighth book in St. Augustine’s City of God, he presents that Philosophy is the study of wisdom in action and contemplation. This is shown in St. Augustine’s discussion of Plato’s threefold division of Philosophy and his evaluation of Plato. In this threefold division, St. Augustine distinguishes the goals that can be met in studying such divisions, and the implications which support the main premise of philosophy as a study of wisdom in action and contemplation.  

In his discussion of Plato’s philosophy, St. Augustine recognized the contribution of Plato. This significant contribution refers to Plato’s refining the philosophies established by his predecessors, namely, Pythagoras and Socrates, by synthesizing them.  St. Augustine showed that for Plato, the study of wisdom both constitutes action and contemplation.  “Action” in this sense refers to the moral part of the study of wisdom (as presented by his master, Socrates), while “contemplation” refers to the reflective and rational part of Plato’s Philosophy (as presented by the Pythagoreans).

Furthermore, St. Augustine noted that Plato gave three divisions to his philosophy namely, moral, natural, and rational.  The moral part of Philosophy which St. Augustine ascribes to action, the natural he ascribed to contemplation, and the rational in which he ascribed to discriminate truth and falsity.  In this sense, one can see that Philosophy leads the individual into particular goals, with respect to the three divisions.  In searching for wisdom therefore, one is led to know the end of all actions (moral), the cause of all natures (natural), and the light of all intelligence (rational). 

 Being an “end” of the things one does, a “cause” of the events around an individual, and a “light” which gives illumination to one’s mind cannot be fulfilled by a mortal or human being.  This proves to be true, say, if one chooses to help the victims of calamity in relief operations.  This individual does not fulfill such moral action just because of the victims, but rather it is for a higher purpose or “end”.  Based on the example, this end is not attributed to human person but rather to a higher being, which is God.  The same line of thought can be connected when one takes in the terms of a “cause” or a “light”.  It is in this sense that one understands that “active” part of Plato’s philosophy.

        In man’s search for wisdom, an individual partakes into a journey of understanding and knowing the very natures attributed to a divine being, which is assumed to be God.  These natures are implied in the search for the “cause”, “end”, and “light” which cannot be attributed to something finite, material, or human.  This further implies that what one gains in the search for wisdom, like further knowledge and deeper understanding of things, is directed into the understanding of the ultimate “cause” of all natures, “end” of all actions, and “light” of all intelligence  which is God.  It is in these that one understands the “contemplative” part of Plato’s philosophy.  

   From these, Plato showed Philosophy as an intellectual and moral discipline for an individual.  Plato was emphatic in saying that being intellectual or moral alone could not make an individual realize the “cause”, “end”, and “light” that makes one’s existence and intellectual endeavors sensible.  Based on this, wisdom then can be drawn out from both moral and rational aspects of philosophizing. Not recognizing the moral and rational aspects of philosophizing would prevent one from enlightenment. It is in the recognition of the two that one can establish the fundamental foundation for his actions, his knowledge of the things around him, and his existence.  

       St. Augustine, in his presentation of the Platonic philosophy, showed that Philosophy is a study of wisdom in action and contemplation. He showed that considering both the moral and rational aspects in philosophizing would establish certainty and consistency needed in the search for truth.  It is in such that an individual makes sensible actions and have a clear understanding of the world and his very existence.  Without this realization, an individual’s life would just be mere absurdity.

         St. Augustine recognizes this emphasis of Plato, and attributes it to the notion of God, to which he ascribed all the cause of all natures, the end of all actions, and the light of all intelligence that could make an individual wise and moral in action and in thought.

d.)    Chapter 5: Philosophy is the study of the nature of God through reason.

In the fifth chapter of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God, what can be of note is St. Augustine’s consideration that Philosophy is the study of the nature of God through reason. This he meaningfully discussed by considering the Platonists as the more preferred persons who can help one in knowing and understanding matters concerning theology.

In the first part of the fifth chapter, St. Augustine presents the mythical and civil theologies as inadequate references for studying the nature of God. This is because these theologies miss the point of the real nature of God.  In fabulous theology, what is presented is the kind of gods found in Roman and Greek mythology that act in an immoral manner. This immorality is found in their involvement in human affairs, like the promiscuity of Zeus or their taking of sides during wars.  In civil theologies, the inadequacy of such study taught one about gods as only “divinized” humans.  These theologies for St. Augustine are not useful in trying to know more about the nature of God.  This is because they had misconceptions of the divine, like being immoral and “human”.  In other words, these theologies, point out to a “wrong” god.  Another point is that these theologies highlight the idea of a “material” kind of god, which can be observed in the preoccupation of the Greek and Roman gods to the “material” world of men, and in the divination of humans into gods.

It is in these that St. Augustine gives primacy to the “philosophical theology” that the Platonists emphasized in their philosophy. This is because unlike the mythical and the civil theologies, they justified the idea of the divine as possessing both immateriality and morality. In this sense, for St. Augustine, the Platonists have recognized the “true God” as the author of all things, the source of the light of truth, and the giver of blessedness.  Considering these characteristics of a “true” God, one can assume that this is a kind of God that is spiritual in nature, since being the “author”, the “source”, and the “giver” would be beyond the bounds of materiality. Relying in material principles can lead an individual into self-contradiction, like the mistake of the Pre-Socratics in their philosophies.  St. Augustine stated that the mistake of the Pre-Socratics revolved around the illogical contention of explaining immateriality based on material principles.  

Since God is “spiritual” in nature, relying on the sensible things and material principles alone cannot lead one to understanding the truth of the nature of this divine being. This implies that rationality can lead one more to the knowledge and truth about God.   This is because anything which is “spiritual” is immaterial, thus cannot be perceived by the senses.  It is only in rationality that one can recognize and understand this “spiritual” Being, recognized by St. Augustine as God.   In using rationality to understand and know God, one does not contradict himself in his understanding of the world. One is led to the truth of God through his reason.  This is because reason aids one to evaluate what he sees and experiences. He analyses, compares, contrasts, and synthesizes realities and experiences.  Reason guides an individual to the truth about the nature of God.

In this chapter, St. Augustine, presents Philosophy as the study of the nature of God through reason.  He shows this in his discussion of the theologies during his time such as philosophical theology, fabulous theology, and civil theology.  In these theologies, St. Augustine sees the philosophical theology provided by the Platonists to be adequate in trying to understand and know the nature of God. This is because this philosophical theology provided a rational foundation in one’s faith, which involved the “spiritual” and “immaterial” nature of God. St. Augustine then shows reason as an adequate tool for an individual to understand better the nature of God. 

 e.)    Chapter 9,10,11: Philosophy is the study of the divine truths.

In the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God, Philosophy is considered as the study of the divine truths. This thought he discussed by elaborating on why the Platonists and their philosophy should be considered right in the pursuit of understanding the divine truths, especially the truths about God.  These “divine” truths centered on God as the cause of everything, the Unchanging light for truth to be discovered, and the path for the enjoyment of a blessed life.

St. Augustine points out that only when knowledge includes the nature of God that one can consider it as true knowledge. In this context, Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in the eighth book of St. Augustine’s ‘City of God’, stressed three important points, namely, Plato’s philosophy as nearest to Christian faith, the primacy of Christian religion, and how Plato approaches nearly to Christian knowledge.

In Chapter 9, St. Augustine singles out Plato’s philosophy as nearest to Christian faith as it concerns on the Unchanging nature of the Supreme God, the cause of everything.  Those other philosophers who mainly concern their writings on the sciences of the visibility of things are in disagreement with the Christian faith. Because of this, St. Augustine preferred the Platonists and not the others for their thoughts are in line with Christianity. 

According to Gyula Klima’s book entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, for St. Augustine, the Platonic philosophers or the philosophers who have the same line of thought as them entertained the idea of a God which had a similar description with the Christian notion of God: the maker of all things, and the good in reference to which things are to be done; that one has in Him the first principle of nature, the truth of doctrine, and the happiness in life [3].  This notion of a God can be found in Plato’s concept of immateriality which he considers to enshrine the fundamental truth of the “first principle” or the “Unchanging Cause” of all things.  This he implies that the materiality present in visible things is not the truth but only clues for the truth present in immaterial and incorruptible things. While other philosophers busied themselves in discovering the truth of the visible things, the Platonists, on the other hand, rest their knowledge of truth in a Divine One, the source of everything.

In Chapter 10, St. Augustine emphasizes that the Christian religion supersedes all the science of philosophers. As stated in Gyula Klima’s book, Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, by knowing God, one can already find the cause of all things, the light which truth is discovered, and the source of happiness in one’s life [4].  His strong claim on this is evident in his description of a Christian man who is not ignorant of the usual vanities and the sciences of other philosophers.  He believes that such man cannot be deceived as he is warned by the precepts of the apostles.  Though such man is not an expert of any philosophy or school of philosophy, the grace that comes from a belief of a true Supreme God can save him from falling into ignorance when he encounters the teachings of other philosophers. His knowledge on the Scriptures or ecclesiastical literature in Christian faith directs him to cling to the truth of the nature of God, and out of a deep understanding of it realizes a blessed life and lives out this life.  The Christian man therefore, has the advantage of being able to act out the truth he discovered about God because he understands this truth, thus preventing the possibility of self-contradiction, to which the previous materialist thinkers were guilty of.

In Chapter 11, St. Augustine stresses on some suppositions that could have influenced Plato and his notions of a God who is unchangeable. Firstly, it not possible that Plato met prophet Jeremiah and read prophetic scriptures not written in Greek.  A careful calculation of dates would reveal that Plato was born a hundred years after Jeremiah.  This only meant that Plato neither met Jeremiah, nor read scriptural writings.

Lastly, based on the first assertion, Plato, being an earnest knower and philosopher, learned about the prophetic scriptures through an interpreter.  When he wrote about an Unchanging God, the cause of all things, he might have read and learned Genesis and other scriptural writings on creation.  He might also knew or read something on the scriptures a conversation of Moses to an angel.  By such reading, Plato might have understood the Unchanging nature of God in the part when the angel told Moses what God would like him to say to the people of Israel. The word of God conveyed to Moses by an angel goes like this: “I am who am; and thou shall say to the children of Israel, He who is sent me to you.” 

However, even if Plato indeed was able to get close to the divine truths in his philosophizing, he still fell short to Christian knowledge.  This is because he was unable to apply these realized truths in his life because of him being a pagan. This brings him into a position of self-contradiction, since he is not living out the knowledge that he knows.  Even if this is the case, St. Augustine still recognizes the efforts of Plato in being able to provide the foundations that are essential in Christian philosophy. It can be observed then, that the philosophical endeavors made by Plato all aimed at the discovery of divine truths that point out to God.  This proves that St. Augustine’s presentation of Plato’s philosophy points out the idea that the search for truth must lead one towards God.  And that truth about God must be lived.

Based on the discussions of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of the eighth book of the “City of God,” St. Augustine emphasized that Philosophy is the study of the divine truths.  In other words, Philosophy essentially and ultimately concerns on the truths concerning God as the cause of everything, the Unchanging light for truth to be discovered, and the path for the enjoyment of a blessed life. In these chapters, St. Augustine explained that the search for wisdom must consist in the consideration of a divine being which can free an individual from confusion, absurdity, and contradiction in his actions.

f.)    Conclusion for St. Augustine

 In the discussions of St. Augustine in the City of God, he presents that Philosophy is Christian theology.  This notion is justified by the two main thoughts emphasized by the chapters presented.  The first thought is about Philosophy being concerned with understanding and knowing God.  The second thought is about Philosophy as not only a purely intellectual study but also something consisting in action. Before we go over these notions in relation to the premise, let us first clarify the way Christian theology must be understood.

According to H. Orton Wiley, Christian Theology is defined as the branch of theological science which aims to set a systematic manner the doctrines of Christian faith.[5]  Relating this to what St. Augustine has explained in the chapters, he, indeed, presented the doctrines of Christian faith in a systematic manner.  This systematic manner is found in his use of rationality or reason in evaluating one’s faith and idea about God.

The first thought states St. Augustine emphasizing the idea that Philosophy should essentially and ultimately concern itself with understanding and knowing God. The search for wisdom is not complete without understanding the “cause”, “source”, and “end” of all things. Otherwise, one falls into contradiction, inconsistency, and confusion in his life.  This is the problem which St. Augustine attributes to the material thinkers, who contradict their explanation of everything in the material sense even though they were thinking of an “immaterial” principle. Christian theology centers on the primacy of God, the Unchanging cause of all things, the foundation of knowledge, the light of truth and the core of one’s life.  It builds on rationality and sustains faith through the knowledge of the Divine.  Faith and reason are significant complements in the search for God.

The second thought emphasized Philosophy as something lived and not just merely an intellectual activity.  St. Augustine thought of Plato falling short to Christian knowledge due to his inability to be consistent with what he learned in his actions. St. Augustine thinks that true wisdom lies in being consistent with what one thinks and does.  In this manner, an individual is spared from contradicting himself and being confused. The notion of Christian theology can be observed in the consistency St. Augustine emphasizes through his example of a Christian man living his faith and being nourished by it.  That is why, he is never ignorant.

 St. Augustine’s consideration of Philosophy as the study of the nature of being and existence, the correction and regulation of manners, of wisdom through action and contemplation, of the nature of God discovered through reason, and about the divine truths that encapsulate all other kinds of truth and knowledge, all refer to a Christian way of philosophizing about the nature of God. This is observed in his frequent emphasis on the search for wisdom that ultimately leads one to knowing God. This objective of wanting to know God in a systematic, rational way is a fundamental characteristic found in the Christian sense of theology, to which St. Augustine clearly demonstrates in his presentation of Philosophy.

 B.)   St. Thomas Aquinas: Philosophy is Natural Theology.

In the first part in St. Thomas’ Summa Theologiae, he addresses the first question which concerns about the nature and extent of sacred doctrine.  The point of inquiry concerns the idea if any further doctrine is required other than Philosophy.  

a.)    Objection 1: Philosophy is the study of what is within reason.

The point of inquiry which St. Thomas first considers would be the notion if other than Philosophy, any further doctrine is required.  In this first point lies a first objection, to which it shows that Philosophy is the study of what is within reason.

The first thing that should be considered in this objection is that Philosophy is seen as a rational discipline.  It is seen as a study which concerns anything that can be perceived by an individual using his reason. In this objection, it showed that the search for truth should be only within reason, because anything which is out of the bounds of reason would be unintelligible in the first place.  This meant that any study which would concern anything unintelligible would be worthless, since it cannot be conceived by the individual.  It even points out an absurdity lying in the idea of studying anything beyond the bounds of reason.  As the objection states in Gyula Klima’s book, Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary: ‘Man should not seek to know what is beyond reason.’[6] Wanting to know that which is beyond the bounds of reason is absurdity in itself, because it is seeking something that is not attainable in the first place.  What is beyond reason, therefore, is not part of the search for wisdom, since there is no wisdom that can be found in anything unintelligible.

Based on this objection, Philosophy is considered as the study of what is within reason.  This is emphasized in the objection placing the pursuit of knowledge in the foundation of what can be known by one’s rationality.  In other words, Philosophy is limited within the individual’s faculty to know.

b.)    Objection 2: Philosophy is the study of being.

The first point of inquiry has a second objection.  It showed that Philosophy is the study of being.  The crucial term in this supposition is the word “being”.  This is why before anything is to be said about Philosophy, it is only necessary to clarify what is the meaning of “being”.

In this objection, “being”, refers to anything that is empirically established.  In other words, this “being” is a reality that can be supported by experience.  This means that wisdom and knowledge can only be possible in “being”, for it can be perceived by the mind and can be proven by one’s experience.  This meant that having experience as a proof constitutes this “being” as something “real”, conceivable, and attainable.  The “being” having the nature of reality makes it possible for man to conceive of it and attain it.  This implies that “being” is something “true” and “real”.

On this objection, it showed that Philosophy concerns on this “being”.  This idea encompasses all that can be identified under this concept of “being”, including God Himself, saying that a part of philosophy called theology or divine science already covered this. This assumption is based from the proof provided by Aristotle in the sixth chapter of his Metaphysics. The search of truth and wisdom then could only be found in aiming that which is true and real.  

The implication of Philosophy in its study of “being”, (including God), is that it is unlimited, for it takes up all that can be known.  God then, is considered in this objection as a truth and a reality.  Since God is included in that category of “being” which is defined as true and real, He can be known. He can be known by reason.  Since Philosophy is concerned with being, God can be known through Philosophy. It is in this idea that the objection showed Philosophy as a study of being. This brings up the idea that there is no need of other disciplines besides Philosophy, because it already covered everything that can be known by reason, including a transcendent being such as God.   Seeking another discipline would only be superfluous. 

c.)    Contrary Position: Philosophy is the approximation of theology. 

In the first point of inquiry, there also lies a contrary position.  This position favors the contrary of the objections.  Instead of proposing Philosophy as the only discipline, it claims the contrary.  In this position, it shows that Philosophy is the approximation of theology.

In this contrary position, the idea of Philosophy as a study which concerns itself within the bounds of human reason is recognized.  However, this fixation to only what reason can take up makes it so far as an approximation, in terms of understanding the nature of God. This is because the aid for one to fully understand God relies on sacred scriptures, which is described to be not within the range of Philosophy.[7] This is because sacred scriptures are better known by divine revelation, which does not treat reason as necessary.

Another point to consider is that between reason and divine revelation associated with sacred scripture, divine revelation is said to be more profitable than reason alone.  Divine revelation is more profitable for it provides the awareness of God. It makes man aware of his endeavors to be directed to this God.  This assumption is observed to be more of a conviction rooted in faith rather than reason. This can be found in an individual’s study of the sacred scriptures and not on the bounds of reason alone.

      The idea of Philosophy as the approximation of theology is observed in the notion that Philosophy can only give concrete concepts about God, but it can never say anything about its relation to man’s life.  Reason can only approximate the nature of God with its concepts, but it can never fully understand and fully know the nature of this God.  It is only in divine revelation found in sacred scriptures that the full understanding of God can be found, which is said to be beyond the bounds of reason.

      d.)    I – Answer: Philosophy is the study of divine purpose within reason.

In this first point of inquiry, after identifying the objections and the contrary position, St. Thomas then gives his answer.  This first part of his answer shows that Philosophy is the study of divine purpose within reason. 

St. Thomas recognizes the point of the first objection that Philosophy concerns itself with what can be comprehended by human reason.  This proved to be true, for anything beyond reason would be unattainable and unthinkable in the first place.  However, recognizing the idea of the contrary position, St. Thomas argues that this problem concerning matters beyond reason, such as the realization of man as directed to God, could be resolved by divine revelation.  In this notion, St. Thomas emphasized that Philosophy can only extend so much in exhausting reason to comprehend matters such as divine purpose or man’s “direction” towards God.   In other words, St. Thomas does not deny the usefulness of reason altogether.  He recognizes the importance of it in so far as it provides the intellectual concepts needed for clarity and understanding of something.   But that is all there is to it.  

St. Thomas implies that if reason is exhausted, what is needed would be the support given by divine revelation.  This is what he presupposes in the matter concerning man’s “direction” to God. This “direction” to God is aptly described as “salvation”, to which happiness and fulfillment is attributed.  Happiness and fulfillment cannot be grasped by reason but by divine revelation. The path to salvation then can only be understood by divine revelation. No rational concept can ever capture the full meaning of man’s direction to God.

The notion of Philosophy being the study of divine purpose within reason is observed in St. Thomas’ recognition of Philosophy being able to bring to light important concepts that can be good starting points for a man of faith.  This implies that man’s purpose as being directed to God can be partly comprehended and understood by the rational concepts of the mind.  However, St. Thomas notes that this does not give the full knowledge and understanding of this “direction” to God or man’s divine purpose.  Rather, the full extent of this understanding and knowledge can be realized through the divine revelation.  Though reason gives the fundamental concepts for comprehending one’s direction to God, it does not reveal any meaning to him.  It does not lead him to happiness and fulfillment. It merely gives him a picture of it, but it does not reveal to him his relation to it.  This is the reason why St. Thomas gives importance to divine revelation, for it fills up the gap between one’s self and his understanding.      

Concerning man’s direction towards God, divine revelation shows to him the meaning of it.  It shows to him his relation to God as the source of fulfillment and happiness.  This idea, St. Thomas saw as something beyond what reason can reach. 

e.)    II – Answer: Philosophy is the study of the truth about God within reason.

 After identifying the objections and the contrary position, St. Thomas then gives the second part of his answer. This second part of his answer shows that Philosophy is the study of the truth about God within reason. 

St. Thomas recognizes the point of the second objection that Philosophy takes up all that can be known, even God Himself. This is because there is a part of Philosophy that deals with this, namely theology.  He also recognizes the contrary position which gave the idea that the sacred scriptures are the worthy references in knowing the truths about God.  In other words, if an individual wishes to know the truths about God, he must either know Philosophy or the sacred scriptures.  

However, St. Thomas gives more primacy to sacred scriptures over Philosophy.  This is because St. Thomas thinks that not all men can be capable of knowing philosophically.  It is also possible that there is a variation among the knowledge of every individual, which gives rise to obscurity and confusion in concepts. This is the problem that St. Thomas observes in solely taking Philosophy in one’s endeavor to know the truth about God. This is because rationality is something which varies among individuals. In the attempt to understand the truths of God through reason, only few will be able to understand and know. What is worse is that this understanding is only partial and prone to error.

 Sacred scripture, on the other hand, can be available to all men, no matter how much knowledge he is capable of comprehending.  It offers unlimited possibilities.  This is because sacred scripture relies more on the faith of the individual rather than his faculty of reason regarding the truths about God.

The quality of sacred scriptures being available to all men of different levels of comprehension is profitable in terms of man’s direction to salvation. This direction of man, as previously stated, is towards God because it is only in Him that happiness and fulfillment can be attained. Happiness and fulfillment are the things that can lead one to salvation.  This notion of man being directed to God is a truth found in the sacred scriptures.  This only means that in considering the sacred scriptures, every individual has the chance towards happiness and fulfillment.  Happiness and fulfillment cannot be realized solely through philosophy or only within reason.

In other words, Philosophy only gives one some knowledge of the divine. However, the realization of the fruition of that knowledge comes through faith.  For one thing, relying on concepts would not be enough in establishing the truth and certainty in matters such as God. This is because the conviction in proclaiming the truth and certainty about the nature of God implies more of an effect of divine revelation rather than a product of a rational endeavor.  This connotes faith. Therefore, even with the rational concepts posed by Philosophy concerning God, there is still a need for divine revelation.

St. Thomas then, presents Philosophy as a study of the truth of God within reason. This is clear in his discussion of Philosophy as only covering the truths about God which reason can discover. The notion of salvation and the nature of God are all subjects that can be comprehended by reason.  This is because these are concrete concepts that are comprehensible. St. Thomas accepts the notion that Philosophy can give “partial” ideas about the truths of God. However, if an individual desires to “fully” know the truths about God, then he should prefer divine revelation found in the sacred scriptures. Philosophy can only lead one to the extent of intellectual understanding, but this can be subject to errors and many interpretations. St. Thomas points out to essence of divine revelation, where every individual has a chance towards attaining salvation with certainty.  

f.)    Conclusion for St. Thomas Aquinas

In the discussion of St. Thomas Aquinas, implicitly, Philosophy is natural theology. This is what he showed in the first point of inquiry which concerned about the idea of having other disciplines other than Philosophy.  “Natural theology” is defined as a study which attempts to prove the existence of God and divine purpose through observation and use of human reason.[8] In other words, the study of the nature of God is done using human reason and observation.  What is meant then by the premise of St. Thomas is that the search for truth and wisdom concerning God partly consists in what can be known by reason. This notion can be observed in St. Thomas recognizing the value of human reason in understanding the nature of God.

Reason is man’s faculty to know, discover, analyze, understand, things and realities.  It can lead him to become wise.  Philosophy aids human beings to understand definitions and concepts of salvation and being.  But it takes more than philosophy to understand God and human salvation.  Philosophy raises reason to a higher level as faculty of man to learn and live his purpose.  But faith gives man’s purpose its ultimate meaning: salvation.  This salvation is God. But this needs faith in order for this notion of “salvation” to be understood and lived.

   Therefore, for St. Thomas, it requires faith to know God and love Him deeply.  Faith is boundless.  It is beyond reason.  Each one essentially or necessarily needs Divine revelation to fill the gap left by the limitation of reason especially concerning the nature of God. Philosophy then will remain as natural theology. This is because reason only serves as important starting point in understanding the nature of God and the truths about Him.  Divine revelation through the exercise of faith is the ultimate source to understand God and connect God to man’s purpose.

    Philosophy leads one to know God.  But God cannot be contained in philosophy.  He is boundless.  Man’s purpose in life is not just knowing things and knowing about God.  There is something more profound and more lasting in life. It is living God within.  But this cannot be realized either through reason alone or through prolific philosophies. Both are limited. The ultimate purpose of man is to understand divine revelation, to understand God, and to truly live such understanding of God in order that he can leap into the authentic happiness or fulfillment through the exercise of faith. This leap is called salvation, the essence of man’s search for knowledge of the profound.

       C. Medieval Philosophers: Philosophy is Theology

St. Augustine and St. Thomas presented philosophy as a Christian theology and natural theology, respectively.  Both thinkers are commonly grounded on the divine as they focused on theology.  This is   emphasized in their study of wisdom that consists in understanding God.  St. Augustine is known to be associated with Christian theology and St. Thomas Aquinas with natural theology. 

  St. Augustine and St. Thomas pushed for a kind of Philosophy which directs ultimately to knowing God. For them, not aiming at understanding God would bring about absurdity and confusion in one’s life. A Philosophy which concerns with merely material principles is bound to self-contradiction and inconsistency.  For St. Augustine, the materialist philosophers were self-contradictory and inconsistent about their explanations of the origin of the world.  This is because they considered the “immaterial” as they spoke about the material principles governing the world.  This caused the failure of the materialist philosophers to understand the world better.  Nonetheless, they were instrumental in sowing confusion and obscurity.

Having a philosophy which aimed at understanding and knowing God leads one to clarity and prevents self-contradiction. This gives a person the foundation for his action and understanding of things in life.  It makes life more sensible and more meaningful.  Philosophy that is necessarily directed to God spells out St. Augustine’s treatment of it as a Christian theology. 

St. Augustine considers reason and philosophy as paths to knowing and understanding the divine revelation. As he explained this through the example of a Christian man, he emphasized that any reasoning or philosophizing cannot lead one to happiness or fulfillment if such is not ultimately directed to the divine revelation or God.  Any earthly or scientific knowledge is subordinate to the knowledge of the divine.  But all knowledge is ultimately towards the discovery of the divine.  When one discovers the divine through his knowledge of the earthly and material existence, he finds God.

 Meanwhile, St. Thomas treats reason and philosophy as significant paths to knowing things and God. This particular characteristic of him implies his being a naturalist theologian.  But God is not just to be known and understood philosophically or by reason alone.  Philosophy cannot contain God.  God is meant to be lived within us. Thus, beyond philosophy and reason, every man should know divine revelation by faith.  No one and nothing can contain God and His revelation.  It is through the eyes of faith that one sees God.  The purpose of man’s search for knowledge and truths is not just fulfillment or happiness but salvation.

In conclusion, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas are two medieval philosophers whose profound understanding of knowledge and wisdom rests in the ultimate necessity and supremacy of the divine revelation.  However, each has his unique ways of leading anyone to understanding of their philosophy and theology.  The former emphasizes reason and philosophy as ways towards knowing the Divine or God. When man reaches the realm of the Divine through the knowledge of the realm of the world, he is fulfilled and happy. He fulfills his life’s purpose.  He succeeded in raising into the level of the sacred his knowledge of the world around him.

 The latter emphasizes that divine revelation cannot be known just by reason and philosophy, but it is known by faith.  Beyond man’s purpose to attain happiness and fulfillment, he needs to understand divine revelation and God through faith in order to be saved. 

D. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.  Klima, Gyula, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, (USA: Blackwell Publishing), 31.

2.    Klima, “Augustine”, 32.

3.   Klima, “Augustine”, 38.

4.   Klima,“Augustine”,  40.

5. Wiley, H. Orton, “The Nature and Scope of Theology”, accessed October 6, 2015, http://wesley.nnu.edu/other-theologians/henry-orton-wiley/h-orton-wiley-christian-theology-chapter-1/.

6.   Klima, Gyula, “Thomas Aquinas on the Nature and Scope of Sacred Doctrine”, In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, (USA: Blackwell Publications), 45.

7.    Klima, “Thomas Aquinas”, 46.

8.  “What Is Natural Theology?”, accessed October 7, 2015 , http://www.giffordlectures.org/overview/natural-theology.