NationStates Jolt Archive

A couple of years ago I was required to read an abreviated Summa Theoligiae (the translation done by Peter Kreeft for those that wish to know) for my honors class and I fell in love with the works of Thomas Aquinas. While I will freely admit that I disagree with some of his conclusions, I find that his cosmological evidence for God's existance, in my own mind, seems to be more believeable that the ontological belief or the modern, "I know because I know," or "Just look around and say there isn't a God..." His belief about the cooperation of predestination and free-will, with neither being entirely mutually exclusive, seems to me to be more realistic than a view that is either-or.

At any rate, I was just curious as to whether or not anyone else had read any of his works and if so, what are some thoughts on the subject?

Aquinas was borderline genius, but he had a real hangup about his early years when he was quite the womanizer. He seemed to place all the blame for his guilty feelings on women and had few kind words for them. :(

While I haven't actually read anything by him, I did get a ten minute crash course at debate camp, which mostly focused on his just war theory. It's interesting, but the focus on heretics makes it not very usable today.

Aquinas was borderline genius, but he had a real hangup about his early years when he was quite the womanizer. He seemed to place all the blame for his guilty feelings on women and had few kind words for them. :(

Was that Aquinas or Augustine?

I read both during my freshman year of college, so it's been a few years. I seem to remember liking Aquinas better than Augustine, mainly because Augustine impressed me as a bit too much of a tight-ass. I'd be hard-pressed for any specifics about either one now, though.

While I haven't actually read anything by him, I did get a ten minute crash course at debate camp, which mostly focused on his just war theory. It's interesting, but the focus on heretics makes it not very usable today.

You went to debate camp?

http://www.badalijewelry.com/images5/kts-geek.lg.jpg

:p

Aquinas was borderline genius, but he had a real hangup about his early years when he was quite the womanizer. He seemed to place all the blame for his guilty feelings on women and had few kind words for them. :(

Without trying to cause offense, that sounds a lot more like Augustine- according to his book Confessions, he was quite the womanizer before his famous conversion beneath the pear tree. To our knowledge about his life, which admittedly is little, Aquinas had only one encounter with a woman, but this was because his aristocratic father and brothers were hell-bent on keeping him out of a monastary. Unfortunately for them, nothing happened.

... Augustine impressed me as a bit too much of a tight-ass.

Agreed, but in retrospect, it was in reaction to the puritanism of Augustinism during the Twelfth Century that allowed for Aquinas and Bonaventure (his Franciscan counter-part) to do their work.

Was that Aquinas or Augustine?

I read both during my freshman year of college, so it's been a few years. I seem to remember liking Aquinas better than Augustine, mainly because Augustine impressed me as a bit too much of a tight-ass. I'd be hard-pressed for any specifics about either one now, though.
Hmmm. You know, it may in fact have been Augustine, although I was fairly sure it was Aquinas. If I was wrong, I apologize.

Agreed, but in retrospect, it was in reaction to the puritanism of Augustinism during the Twelfth Century that allowed for Aquinas and Bonaventure (his Franciscan counter-part) to do their work.

No doubt, the tight-asses of the world serve their purpose. I suppose someone's got to do it.

But if I were going to pick someone with whom to quaff a flagon of mead (or whatever), I'd take Aquinas over Augustine. Self-flagellators tend to spill their drinks, and I can only listen to a guy describe the lizard on his wall so much before I just want to ditch him.

Aquinas = One of the most intelligent minds the world has ever seen