Abstract
The following paper will look at Aquinas' contribution to the modern-day philosophy of law. As much as anything, Aquinas may be credited with bringing Aristotelian logic to the philosophical exploration of the law. Beyond that, Aristotle articulated - for medieval audiences - the notions of natural and divine law; while it may seem a small point, he really succeeded in bringing back into vogue the platonic notion that there were "ideal" forms - of which the law of God is surely one. Be that as it may (and it is rather confusing in many respects) Aquinas also brought into popularity the notion of positive law having a valence that was independent of whether or not it was under-girded by natural or divine law; in this regard, he may well have set the stage for the totalitarian excesses of the future (though that point should not be exaggerated or used to smear him). In any case, St. Thomas of Aquinas brought Aristotelian logic to the study of law and philosophy and may well have laid the foundation for modern legal positivism.

From the Paper
St. Thomas of Aquinas' Contribution to the Philosophy of Law The following paper will look at Aquinas' contribution to the modern-day philosophy of law. As much as anything, Aquinas may be credited with bringing Aristotelian logic to the philosophical exploration of the law. Beyond that, Aristotle articulated - for medieval audiences - the notions of natural and divine law; while it may seem a small point, he really succeeded in bringing back into vogue the platonic notion that there were "ideal" forms - of which the law of God is surely one. Be that as it may (and it is rather confusing in many respects) Aquinas also brought into popularity the notion of positive law having a valence that was

Tags:aquinas, philosophy, law

Abstract
This paper compares Maimonides and Aquinas, both in terms of their lives, and especially in terms of their attempts to reconcile Aristotle to contemporary Jewish and Christian beliefs. The paper touches on their views of the creation of the world versus the world having already existed. It concludes that Maimonides helped Aquinas understand Aristotle, but Aquinas achieved more lasting fame.

From the Paper
"Maimonides and Aquinas stand as two of the major figures of philosophy in the medieval period. They both lived at the end of a period of comparative philosophical drought that lasted from the third to the thirteenth centuries. They also both worked to synthesize philosophy and religion, trying to bind together the human aspirations for logic and moral truth. Both were among the long line of philosophers who offered proofs of the existence of God. The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides was born in Cordova in Moslem Spain. Forced to flee that region because of internal Moslem disputes,

Tags:aquinas, maimonides, philosophy

Abstract
St. Thomas Aquinas contributed a great deal to the entirety of Christian Theology both during and after his life; particularly in his writings. St. Thomas, as he is referred to in short, was an astute Biblical scholar who was as devoted to the faith in human reason as he was in God. St. Thomas' tome, Summa Theological, is, literally, the summation of his understanding of theology. In this work Aquinas single-handedly justified and 'proved' the whole of the spiritual nature, the soul, God, and a Christian life. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the contributions of St. Thomas Aquinas to Christian theology and his impact upon Christianity itself.

Tags:thomas, aquinas, christian

Abstract
This paper describes St. Thomas Aquinas' first two of five arguments for the existence of God, in God as the original source of first motion, and in God as the reason that causality has a proportion or measure. The paper discusses how ideas that secularists once rejected, are ironically often stated by physicists and others in our day, who after many years do say they see some force they cannot explain, or a symmetry in natural processes, rather like what St. Thomas Aquinas was getting at. The paper discusses how his idea of God as the source of original energy still suits many people.

Tags:original motion, cause/proportion, aquinas

Abstract
This is a persuasive argument essay discussing the concept of divine providence from the perspectives of Plotinus and Thomas Aquinas and arguing that Aquinas' view is the correct one.

From the Paper
"The two philosophers, Plotinus and Thomas Aquinas, were separated not only by many centuries but also by their divergent views on the divine providence of God. Plotinus, a pagan, viewed God as the source of all things although he did not believe that God created evil, evil is simply the absence of good. Aquinas, on the other hand, believed that God is the cause of everything that exists and that everything depends upon Him for its..."

Tags:Plotinus, Thomas Aquinas, divine providence, persuasive argument

Abstract
This paper examines the impact of Saint Thomas Aquinas on modern society and points out how it is important to note that his articulation of his natural law doctrine has been very influential for more than seven centuries. The paper explains that this influence has extended beyond philosophy and religion, because Aquinas conceived of natural law within a much larger context of human actions and their place in the order of creation.

From the Paper
"As Braybrooke (2003) notes, Aquinas' conception of natural law has had a major impact on human society, primarily because his natural law doctrine "articulates a 'philosophical' ethics within a 'theological' understanding of God and the universe without compromising the integrity of either the philosophical or the theological enterprises.""

Tags:thomas, aquinas, legacy

Abstract
This paper discusses Thomas Aquinas and Machiavelli on politics, rule, and their relation to Aristotle's concept of man as a political animal.

From the Paper
"Aristotle, often called the philosopher's philosopher, conceived of the human being as a political animal whose life was spent in large measure in the pursuit of rational action that was purposeful, not only in terms of practical functions, but in terms of happiness. (Solomon and Higgins) This Aristotelian concept emphasizes virtue as a primary objective in all of human activities and considers humans as necessarily engaged in political activity as a direct consequence of living within organized social groups. This is a..."

Tags:Machiavelli, Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, politics, rule

Abstract
This paper discusses St. Thomas Aquinas' metaphysical analysis of the principles of the one and the many, divine nature, creation, and evil.

From the Paper
"St Thomas regarded the notion of one as a transcendental notion convertible with the notion of being, and thus as surpassing the boundaries of individual categories. (Klima) On the one hand, the notion of one is obviously a numerical notion and so it should belong to the category of quantity and particularly to the species of discrete quantity. St Thomas resolved this conflict by distinguishing between the notion of the one that is the principle of number and..."

Tags:St. Thomas Aquinas, metaphysics, creation, evil.

Abstract
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."

Tags:aristotle, aquinas, politics

Abstract
This paper describes Rene Descartes' use of Aquinas's five ways of knowing that God exists, identifying God's perfection as the major thrust of Descartes' ontological argument in defense of God's existence.

From the Paper
"Rene Descartes in the Third Meditation draws upon arguments advanced earlier by St Thomas Aquinas to demonstrate that God exists. Having declared himself to be a thing that thinks that is to say that doubts .."

Tags:Descartes, Thomas Aquinas, God, First Prime Mover