Augustine and Aquinas: Faith, Reason, and Society

Augustine of Hippo: Faith, Reason, and Society

A medieval Christian philosopher is distinguished from a Greek philosopher in that the Christian seeks truth already known to have been revealed by God, making further independent seeking unnecessary. Therefore, in Christian philosophy, in addition to the natural powers of sense and reason, a third, much more powerful option is added due to its supernatural nature: faith, capable of knowing the truth without error (which is God Himself).

Hence, in Christian philosophy, reason is subordinate to faith, acting in its service to demonstrate rationally what faith knows intuitively. If heretics attacked dogma using rational arguments, Christians also defended their positions with reason.

In Augustine, this subordination is evident in the theory of light, which illuminates reason with the light of faith (Truth), meaning one must believe in order to understand (credo ut intelligam).

If faith must direct philosophy correctly, then in politics, the Church should lead the State—the City of God superseding the earthly or human city of divine justice. Just as Plato proposed the philosopher (who knew the ideas of Good and Justice) as king, Augustine proposes the Church as the sovereign of society, as it is the one who knows the ultimate truth: God and divine justice.

Thomas Aquinas: The Relationship Between Faith and Reason

A medieval Christian philosopher differs from a Greek philosopher who seeks truth he does not yet possess, as the Christian philosopher knows truth has already been revealed by God.

Christian philosophy adds faith, a supernatural faculty more powerful than sense and reason, capable of knowing infallible truth (God Himself). Reason is subordinate to faith, serving to rationally demonstrate what faith knows intuitively. If heretics attacked dogma rationally, Christians defended it with reason, demonstrating the error.

Distinction from Augustine

However, unlike Augustine, where reason was completely subordinated to faith with no autonomy, Thomas Aquinas grants reason a certain independence, though still sharing the common truth of faith (thus avoiding Averroes' problematic double truth theory).

Reconciliation of Faculties

• Reason and faith, each proceeding in its own way, must ultimately align; if they conflict, one has erred.
• Reason is a natural right and, therefore, limited; nothing can be known without the senses (reflecting Aristotle's racio-empiricism and his abstract method).