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- incredibly influential....
AquinasOnKingship[2]
GeneralnoteonAquinas:Wehavetofinessehisbiasesasaservantofthe
RCchurch
Iwill(tryto)notewhenthismattersandwhenitdoesnt...
Hisofficialpositionis:
GodGovernstheUniversebyhisProvidence [fromsummacontragentiles]
whichmightseemtocommithimtoTheocracy
Itdoesnt(cf.Augustine)butitdoesbiashiminthatdirection
Obviouslythequestionofhowtheologyisrelatedtopoliticalphilosophywill
beamainone.Standby...
OnKingship
HereAquinasisgivingadvicetoanactualruler(thekingofCyprus)
Bothhistheologicalbiasandhisconnectionwiththerulerinquestion
mightbiashiminhisargument...justsomethingtobearinmind.
AquinasonKingship
[3]
MeninSocietyMustBeunderRulers
So: why must men be under rulers?
1. A ship must have a helmsman
Q: is society a ship??
- reasons why we should not think so:
- society is a whole lot of people
- each is going various places
- theyre not all going the same place
- But ships necessarily go one way at a time...
- society doesnt have a unified set of sails, oars, etc.
Aquinas
[4]
man has an end toward which all his actions are directed, being an
intelligent being
[Problems:
- back to the Aristotelian mistake: each man has an end (or a lot of ends)
toward which he directs his actions
not: we all have the same end toward which one super-ruler can direct us...
man is by nature a political and social animal
he cannot provide for his life alone
[Agreed. That argues for social order of some sort - but why Political?
Not so obvious ...!]
Aquinas
[5]
2. Itisntpossibleforonepersonalonetoknoweverythingby
unaidedreason.
[Classtelluswhatswrongwiththatone!]
3.insociety,peoplecanhelpeachother
[right.Butdotheyneedgovernmenttodothis??]
[e.g.,howdoesknowledgegrow?
3a.Bybothindividualandcooperativeresearch.
Willthisbepromotedbyaking?
isitevenpromotedbytheDean??!
Aquinas
[6]
CommunityBreakup
4.Ifeachprovidesonlywhatisconvenientforhimself,thegroupwould
breakupunlessonehadresponsibilityforthewhole.
so?
Privategoodandthecommongoodarenotthesame
Aquinas:privategooddividesthecommunity,whereascommonconcerns
uniteit.
doeshemeanprivategoodssuchasfriedeggsandscubadiving?
ormurderandarson?
i)thefirstsortdontseemtobeaproblem
wedohaveacommoninterestingettingourseparateprivategoods
achieved
marketexchange,e.g.,forwardsthis
Aquinas
[7]
CommunityBreakup
ii)criminalactionisindeedaproblem,butprivacyisnotthesourceofit!
(murderisaninterpersonalevil,notagood.
Ordoeshemean,themurdererthinksitsgoodforhimself?
True:butpublicmurder(say,war)isevenworse!
b)and,sowhat?
thebreakupwhichisjustdifferentpeopledoingdifferentthingsis
arguablygood,notbad]
Aquinas
[8]
ineachthingwefindasuperiorpartthatrules;
likewiseinagroup,theremustbesomethingthatrules.
[justwhathisfriendtherulerwantstohear!
butdotreeshavesuperiorpartsthatrule?]
AndifweallweremovedtotheCG,wouldweneedaking??
Wecanseewhatscoming:whatmoveseveryonetothecommongoodis
theGovernment,right?
Andregardingthemovingpoint,AquinasisgoingtoclaimthatLawdoes
this
andthatLawisRational.
[Comment:Well,eachofusisrational,though.
MaybetheressomethingineachofusthatmovesustotheCommonGood,
withouthavingtohaveaKingdoitforus!
Aquinas
[9]
Theproperendofagroupoffreemenisdifferentfromthatofagroup
ofslaves
Thatisbecause,ashenotes,thefreedeterminetheirownactions,whereasa
slave,quaslave,belongstoanother.
Where,then,dowegofromhere?
AquinasnowproposesthatIfarulerdirectshissubjectstothecommongood,
thatisrightbecauseappropriate
whereasifheaimsathisowngood,thatistyrannyunjustandperverse.
(Heastutelynotesthattyrannybyafew,orbymany,forthatmatter,isalso
possible.)
Aquinas
[10]
3b.besideswhatmoveseachtohisownprivategood,theremustbe
somethingthatmoveseveryonetothecommongoodofthemany.
Note:Adistinctionisneededhere:between
3b.i.somethingmoveseveryonetothecommongood
3b.ii:somethingmoveseveryonetohaveaviewofthecommongood....
Thesearedecidedlynotthesameunless
(a)ii=i,and
(b)iigivesustherightdirectionsre(i)
butsurelyitmightnot!
example:thefreemarket.
Herepeopledontactwithaviewtothecommongood
buttheyachieveitanyway,
and(arguably)betterthanwithsocial(nottomentionpolitical!)direction....
Aquinas
[11]
TheEndofSociety
1.Argument:Whenthingsareorderedtosomeend,thereisarightanda
wrong
waytoproceed;
likewisewithgovernment
[but,reminder:Theproperendofagroupoffreemenisdifferentfromthat
ofa
groupofslaves
(recall:Thefreedeterminetheirownactions,whereasaslave,
quaslave,belongstoanother)
Aquinas
[12]
2.TheDifferencebetweenJustandUnjustRulers:
Ifarulerdirectshissubjectstothecommongood,thatisright
becauseappropriate
whereasifheaimsathisowngood,thatis
tyrannyunjustandperverse.[recallThrasymachus]
[note:Tyrannybyafew,orbythemob,isalsopossible.Butforthesame
(Aristotelian)reason:therulerorrulersseekshisortheirowngoodatthe
expenseoftheruled.]
[Question:ishesimplyassumingtheabove?Orishearguingforit?]
Aquinas
[13]
3.BetterOneRulerorMany?
argument:Communitywelfarerequires
unityinwhatwecallpeace
nopeace,nobeneficiallife.
Sothemostimportantresponsibilityoftheruleris:
toachieveunityinpeace.
>Thatwhichisalreadyitselfonecanpromoteunitybetter
>So,governmentbyoneisbetterthanbymany
[Doesitfollow?RecallAristotleagainstPlato:toomuchunityisnotwanted..]
[Q:Whatifyoucouldhavedisunityinpeace?]
Aquinas
[14]
4.GovernmentisNatural:
1)Whateveraccordswithnatureisbest
2)bynaturegovernmentisbyoneastheheartmovesbody(other
cases:Queenbees,andGod,theMakerandRulerofall)
[Aquinasdoesnotmentionherdsofcows,coloniesofbirds,andsoon
wherestheleaderthere?
[Inanycase,whyshoulditmatterwhatnaturedoes?
Aquinas
[15]
TheproblemofTyranny
[?]Whatifthisonerulerisabadone?(atyrant...)
Thetyrantusesforcetooppressinsteadofjusticetorule.
(aswevenotedalready,Peoplecanbeoppressedalsobyafew,asinoligarchy,orby
themob,usingtheforceofnumberstooppresstherichthuseventhewholepeoplecan
beguiltyoftyranny.
[right:thatsacautiontodemocrats...]
WhattodoaboutTyranny?
Acommunitymustdoitsbesttoavoidgivingtheruletoonewhowillbecomeatyrant.
Butwhatdowedoifhedoesbecomeone?
Ifthetyrannyisnotextreme,itisbettertotolerateit
[why?Becausetakingactionmaybeevenworse
(1)Evenifoppositiontothetyrantprevails,theretendtobedeepdivisionsinthe
populace
whichdividesintorivalgroups.
(2)Andtheonewhoaidsthecommunityinoverthrowingthetyrant,veryoften,
becomeshimselfastillworseone.]
AquinasonKingship [16]
Whatifthetyrannyisunbearable?
Somesaythatthebraveshouldthenriskdeathtoridthecommunityofhim.
YetthisisnotinaccordwithApostolicteaching.
[oh,right,yeah....]
St.Peterteachesustobesubjectnotonlytogoodandtemperaterulers,buttoill
temperedonestoo.
[well,bullyforSt.Paul!]
Forconsiderthatmenwhowouldmakegoodassassinsareunlikelytomakegoodkings.
important,andtrue...
thebestsolutionisnotbyprivateactionofafewbutbyproceedingthroughpublic
authority.
Thecommunitytogethermaydeposethekingorrestricthispower;evenifitagreedto
obeyhimforever,thisdoesnotbindthemifheabuseshispowerbybecominga
tyrant
Q:wheredoesthisleaveus??
[Troubleis,thetyrantisthepublicauthority!
theresaproblemhere....!]
Aquinas
[17]
LetshearitforthePriests!:
Spiritualguidanceisneededtodirectmantotheportofeternallife
EternalbeatitudewithGodistheendofawholesociety.
(Ifthatendwerehealth,doctorswouldrule;ifwealth,abusiness
executive;ifknowledge,ascholar.
But,beingwhatitis,weneedapriest!)
Theendofhumansocietyisthevirtuouslife.
UndertheNewLaw[ofChrist],kingsshouldbesubjecttopriests.
[imaginethat!
[Andanacademicmightsay:kingsshouldbesubjecttoPhDs!]
....
Aquinas
[18]
TheKingDirectstothegoodLife
Dutyoftheking:promotethegoodlifeofthecommunity
sothatitleadstohappinessinheaven
[Q:isthattherealreason??]
Whatisrequiredfortheindividualsgoodlife:
(1)virtue,and
(2)asufficiencyofmaterialgoods
whichisnecessaryforvirtuousaction[cf.Aristotle...].
[Comment:thatsagoodshotatit...buthowaboutsociallife,etc?
Art?Sport?Ordothoseallcomewiththesecond?]
[disagreementaboutthiscouldleadtopoliticaldisagreement....
Aquinas
[19]
Whatisrequiredforthegoodlifeofagroup:
First,peace
Secondactingwellbythecommunity
Thirdasufficiencyofnecessities
Questions:
(a)aretheseintherightorder?
[Asuggestion:First,Third,Second[onthegroundthatwealthforall
supportspeaceandenablesactingwellbythecommunity...]
Aquinas
[20]
Peace
>butperhapspeaceisnecessaryandsufficientforsufficiency
(1)Peaceallowsmentoengageinworkandexchange
thispromotesprosperity
(2)Alsotoformclubs,associations,churches,etc.
Aquinas
[21]
(2)Actingwellbythecommunity?
whatisthat?
[Isntthisdirectiontopeace??]
[notreproducedinouranthology:theexampleofcommunityfestivals
And:tennisclubs,symphonyconcerts,marathonruns....
Question:mightntNGOsdoabetterjobatthat?
Question:iscentralizedcommunitydirectionnecessaryforthis?
thatsthemainquestion...
Note:itseasytoseewhygovernmentswouldwanttogetintotheact
butshouldthey??
Aquinasargumentsdontproveit
atanyratenotyet!
Aquinas
[22]
Sufficiency
(3)whyonlysufficiency?Howaboutwealth?
arguable:wealthcausespeaceandactingwellbycommunity
(ontheonehand,wealthenablespeopletoaffordmoreexpensive
meansofwar
Ontheother,theyundercutthemotivetoit...)
[Monksmaythinkthatnotverymuchisenough!
Butdowe??
[AquinasseemstobefollowingAristotle(bigsurprise!)inthinking
thatitsfairlyeasytohavetoomuchwealthandthatthatsbad...
Isheright??]
AquinasonKingship [23]
SummingupOnKingship
(1)claimsthatweneedgovernment
(2)thatmonarchyisbetter(moreunity)
(3)thattyrannyisevil
(4)butweshouldntdotoomuchtoresistit..
(5)whatgovernmentsoughttodoispromote
peace,community,andwealth(inthatorder)