Among the species of law, Aquinas numbers the “eternal law” as foundational for the natural law. What is meant by this type of “law”, and what are its implications for the relation between morality and revelation / theology? This article assays some basic themes pertaining to this question. Read Article
The law is something “promulgated”—or so Aquinas states in his common definition of law. This seems quite acceptable in the case of human, positive law. However, how can one speak of a “promulgation” of the natural law, let alone the eternal law? This article is a discussion of the general themes involved in considering this problem. Read Article
The term “law” is most easily understood in terms of the positive law that we experience in our day-to-day life. In order to discuss “natural law” without being equivocal in our use of language, we need to consider how it can even be possible to transition from discussing the case of positive “law” to that of natural “law.” Read Article
A consideration of Thomas Aquinas’ general definition of law. These reflections will serve as the basis for probing the implication of this definition, ultimately aiming to treat the natural law in its proper boundaries. Read Article
Many well-meaning philosophical ethicists appeal to some notion of “natural law”, as though this notion accounts for the fundamental aspects of moral philosophy. However, the domain of discourse for “law” is an explicitly inscribed one. In this article, we will note Aquinas’ placement of the “conceptual space” for discussions of “law and the natural law.” Read Article
The division of the sciences, especially of the liberal arts from the other sciences, is propaedeutic for knowing and understanding the world around us. Read Article
During the Middle Ages, the rediscovery of Aristotelianism brought about the question of what the relationship between each science was. Is there a natural hierarchy? Can any science be understood independently of the other sciences? Read Article
A comparison is made between the Thomistic and the Neo-Platonic notion of signs, and how such signs relate to our knowledge of the world. Read Article
Thomas Aquinas examines pure forms in an attempt to distinguish the metaphysical principles of beings. He extrapolates that being and essence are distinct. Read Article