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Did Aquinas' beliefs change throughout different points of his life?

Bobby Folshom

Hey there!

Thanks for asking about Aquinas’ beliefs and how they may have evolved over the course of his life. It’s an interesting question, and one that I’m happy to explore with you.

To begin with, it’s important to acknowledge that Aquinas was a complex thinker whose ideas evolved and shifted over time. He lived in the 13th century, a time known as the High Middle Ages, and he was heavily influenced by the intellectual and philosophical developments of his era.

At the core of Aquinas’ beliefs was his commitment to natural law. He believed that there were fundamental moral truths that were accessible to human reason and were grounded in the natural order of things. He also believed in the importance of free will and human agency, arguing that humans had the ability to choose right from wrong.

Throughout his life, Aquinas’ ideas went through several transformations. Early in his career, he was heavily influenced by the works of Aristotle, which led him to focus more on reason and logic than on faith and revelation. However, later in life, he became more interested in the mystical aspects of Christianity, which led him to place greater emphasis on the role of intuition and spiritual insight in gaining knowledge of God.

Another significant change in Aquinas’ thinking occurred around the time he wrote his most famous work, the Summa Theologica. In this masterpiece, he attempted to reconcile Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy, and in doing so, he introduced several new concepts into his system of thought. For example, he developed a theory of “double truth,” which acknowledged that there could be differences between philosophical and theological truths, but emphasized that both were ultimately compatible with one another.

One of the most significant changes in Aquinas’ thinking occurred in the final years of his life, when he became more focused on the eschatological aspects of Christianity. He began to emphasize the importance of contemplation and prayer as a means of achieving union with God, and he argued that ultimate fulfillment could only be found in the afterlife.

In conclusion, Aquinas’ beliefs did change throughout different points of his life, as he was constantly seeking to refine and develop his understanding of Christianity and the natural world. However, despite these changes, he remained committed to the core values of natural law, free will, and human agency, and his ideas have had a profound and long-lasting impact on philosophy, religion, and intellectual thought.