Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how the basis of nature for Aquinas and Aristotle depends upon the observation of the good in regards to the reasoning capacities of the human mind. It looks at how, by making natural equations to humankind's ability to politicize governing and power struggles, the basis of higher and lower behaviors becomes apparent in relation to God.

From the Paper:

"This study will examine the concept of `nature' within the philosophies of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. Both of these authors exhibit similarities in utilizing nature as backdrop to determine how human beings behave in politics. By understanding the generalizations of the "good' in human politics, both Aristotle and Aquinas provide reasoning as the main precept for good government in relation to the purity of the human soul. Natural observation of the human condition was one of Aristotle's foundations for understanding how human beings interact on a governmental level. The issue of politics was a central aspect of natural philosophy, since it dictated how Aristotle related virtuous and non-virtuous actions taken by different rulers or governors. This philosophy determined man to a `rational' animal, which needed to be ordered and guided through different means of cooperation."

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