The Thomistic Institute What Is Politics About Anyway? Aquinas on the Common Good | Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP
Nov 24, 2016
Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP, discusses Aquinas' views on politics, emphasizing the common good over personal interests. He explores the historical perspectives on the common good, contrasting it with individual goods. The podcast touches on Aquinas' take on the Syrian refugee crisis and the implications of prioritizing personal gains over the community's welfare.
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Aquinas' Letter Praising Good Kings
- Aquinas wrote to the King of Cyprus that rulers are likenesses to God because they govern as God does in the world.
- He added that good kings are most pleasing to God and highly rewarded, illustrating medieval esteem for rulers tied to the common good.
Common Good Explains Medieval Reverence For Politics
- Aquinas sees the medieval reverence for politics rooted in the dignity of the common good rather than superior rulers.
- The common good elevates political work and rulers because it is ontologically higher than particular goods, not merely larger.
Church Texts Give Two Different Common Good Definitions
- Modern Catholic texts give two conflicting descriptions of the common good: a utilitarian sum (Catechism) and a classical indivisible whole (Compendium).
- Aquinas aligns with the Compendium's classical unity, not the Catechism's divisible instrumental view.