Abstract
The complexity of the tradition, the variety of the strands to be woven together in the mid-thirteenth century, demanded a synthesist of genius. One such was found in St. Thomas Aquinas. Here there is no question of expounding once again his doctrine of the natural law — although some elements in such an exposition will be appealed to later in this book, as part of the argument that the profile of the natural law sketched by Aquinas can be restored and, indeed, must be, if the natural law is to continue to be man’s moral court of appeal. At present it will be instructive to examine Aquinas’s thought on the natural law with the aim of seeing what he made of the tradition. Such treatment will necessarily be selective. One may begin with an excellent example, both of his indebtedness and of his independence, in his approach to synderesis.
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References
A.H. Chroust, “The Philosophy of Law from St. Augustine to St. Thomas Aquinas” in The New Scholasticism, 20 (1946), p. 43 discusses the distinction in Roland of Cremona. See also the review of A. Cortesi’s edition (Bergamo, 1962) of Book III of the Summa of Roland, in F. Van Steenberghen, La bibliothèque du philosophe médiéviste, pp. 86-89; Id, La philosophie au XIIIe siècle, pp. 157-158. O. Lottin, Le droit naturel chez S. Thomas d’Aquin et ses predecesseurs, p. 76 had said: “La formule est une creation de saint Thomas; elle n’apparaît pas, que nous sachions, chez ses prédécesseurs, mais elle ne laisse pas d’être quelque peu mystérieuse.” This view needs to be qualified. Another possible source is William of Auvergne’s distinction between precepts of the natural law primae necessitatis and precepts secundae necessitatis; cf. O. Lottin, Psychologie et morale aux XIIe et XIIIe siecles, II, p. 76.
Cf. L. Clement, “Le jus gentium” in Revue de l’Université d’Ottawa, Section spéciale, 9–10 (1940), pp. 188–191.
Cf. G. Verbeke, “La date du Commentaire de St. Thomas d’Aquin sur l’Ethique à Nicomaque” in Revue philosophique de Louvain, 47 (1949), pp. 203–220
—Id., “Fr Authenticité et Chronologie des écrits de S. Thomas d’Aquin” in Revue philosophique de Louvain, 48 (1950), p. 261
A. Mansion, “Autour de la date du commentaire de S. Thomas sur l’Ethique à Nicomaque” in Revue philosophique de Louvain, 50 (1952), p. 460.
Cf. Sententia Libri Ethicorum (Sancti Thomae de Aquino Opera Omnia, v. XLVII (Romae, 1969) Praefatio, p. 201*: “... admirari enim solet de multitudine operum quae Thomas in parvo tempore confecit, praesertim cum Sententiam Libri Ethicorum Lutetiae Parisiorum circa annos 1271-1272 scripserit dum secundam partem Summae theologiae aliaque opera scribebat.” The Leonine editors refer to
R.A. Gauthier, “La date du commentaire de saint Thomas sur l’Ethique à Nicomaque” in Recherches de théologie ancienne et médiévale, 18 (1951), pp. 66–105.
Nic Eth., V, 7, 1.134 b 18-21; S. Thomas, In V Eth., lect. 12 Sententia libri Ethicorum, Romae, 1969, p. 304, 12-33.
Ibid., p. 305, 49-57; 57-75: “Est autem considerandum quod iustum naturale est ad quod hominem natura inclinat. Attenditur autem in homine duplex natura; una quidem seeundum quod est animal, quae est sibi aliisque animalibus communis; alia autem est natura hominis quae est propria sibi in quantum est homo, prout scilicet seeundum rationem discernit turpe et honestum. Iuristate autem illud tantum dieunt ius naturale quod consequitur inclinationem naturae communis homini et aliis animalibus, sicut coniunctio maris et feminae, educatio natorum et alia huiusmodi; illud autem ius quod consequitur propriam inclinationem naturae humanae, in quantum scilicet homo est rationale animal, vocant ius gentium quia eo omnes gentes utuntur, sicut quod pacta sint servanda, quod legati etiam apud hostes sint tuti, et alia huiusmodi. Utrumque autem horum comprehenditur sub iusto naturali, prout hic a Philosopho accipitur.”
The Thomistic text ends at In III Pol, lectio 6, the completion being the work of Peter of Auvergne. The date has not yet been satisfactorily established, but there is fairly general agreement that St. Thomas began his commentary during his second Paris period, 1296–1272. On these matters cf. H.F. Dondaine, L.J. Bataillon, Préface, Sententia Libri Politicorum (Opera Omnia, t. XLVIII, Romae, 1971, pp. A5–A8).
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© 1977 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
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Crowe, M.B. (1977). Aquinas Faces the Natural Law Tradition. In: The Changing Profile of the Natural Law. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-0913-8_6
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