TWO THOMASES: AQUINAS AND REID

Having opened his Summa contra gentiles with some reflections on “the office of the wise man,” and having remarked that “among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy” than any other (I,2,2), Thomas Aquinas, in a passage unusual in his work for its use of the first person singular pronoun, goes on to declare that “in the name of the divine Mercy, I have the confidence to embark upon the work of a wise man, even though this may surpass my powers” (I,2,2). That work, he says, is the work “of making known … the truth that the Catholic faith professes, and of setting aside the errors that are opposed to it” (I,2,2). What follows these introductory comments is four rather lengthy books in which Aquinas articulates Christian theology in the manner of a scientia, polemicizing along the way against alternative positions.

Why does Aquinas think that articulating Christian theology in scientific fashion, and polemicizing against alternatives, is a way of exercising the office of a wise person? After citing Aristotle to authorize his adherence to common usage, Aquinas remarks that “the usage of the multitude … has commonly held that they are to be called wise who order things rightly and govern them well.” He supports his view on this point of usage by appealing to Aristotle on this matter as well, remarking that “among other things that men have conceived about the wise man, the Philosopher includes the notion that “it belongs to the wise man to order” (I,1,1).