The Social Character of Heavenly Beatitude: According to the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas

THE SOCIAL CHARACTER OF HEAVENLY BEATITUDE ACCORDING TO THE THOUGHT OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS T HOMAS AQUINAS has been rightly appraised as one of the most socially-minded Fathers of the Middle Ages. His synthesis of medieval life interprets, comprehensively , the manifold group relations that human beings normally sustain to each other. Thus, his social interests range widely over the field of family life, the state, war and peace, property and trade, and, indeed, the major areas of human association. Throughout, he stresses the unity of life, the theoretical bases and practical expressions of human solidarity, the indispensably social character of human living.1 And of his contributions in these areas scholars have written extensively.2 But when Thomas concerns himself with humanity, he considers the whole man, not some partial aspect of his life. Thus, his anthropology views man not only in his natural environment but more significantly in relation to his supernatural destiny.3 Man's :fi:D.al happiness, or beatitude, he thinks of as 1 Typical references are: Summa Theologiae (S. Theol.), I q. 96 a. 4; Ia llae q. 81 a. 1, q. 90 a. 2, q. 105 a. 2; lla IIae q. 40 a. 2, q. 58 a. 5, q. 109 a. 3, q. 114 a. 2, q. 129 a. 6. The edition here utilized, through lla llae, is that of the Ottawa Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Ottawa, Canada, 1941-42. See also the Summa Contra Gentiles (Con. Gent.), III, 117, 151, 128, 85, 129; In octo Libros Politicorum Aristotelis Expositio, Lib. I, entire. Part III of the S. Theol., and all other works of Thomas cited or quoted in this article are according to the Opera Omnia (Op.), edited by S. E. Frette and P. Mare, Paris, 1871-1880. • Representative of the better studies are: Otto Schilling, Die Staats- und Soziallehre des hl. Thomas von Aquin (2nd ed., Munich, 1930); Ernst Troeltsch, The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches, Trans!. by Olive Wyon (New York, 1931), I, 257-328; Theodor Steinblichel, "Der Zweckgedanke in der Philosophie des Thomas von Aquino," Beitriige zur Geschichte der Philosophie des Mittelalters , XI. 1 (1913), 102-111; Fr. Mathier Robert, "La Doctrine Sociale de S. Thomas et sa Realization dans les Faits," Revue Thomiste, XX (1912), 49-65. 3 Cf. Etienne Gilson, Le Thomisme: lnt·roduction au Systeme de Saint Thomas d'Aquin (3rd ed., Paris, 1927), pp. 297-98. 65 5 66 R. C. PETRY being realized in this ultimate sphere. His final citizenship is to be that of the heavenly Fatherland, the patria. Human solidarity is to reach its final development and re-investment in the company of the Trinity and the angels. Thomas never tires of repeating the assertion that God is not only man's creator but also his supreme end. Moreover, as the summum bonum He is the common end toward which all men are directed.4 By every law of rational deduction, those who find eternal beatitude in the company of God, their common end, might be thought of as attaining the full and lasting fruition of their own mutuality. This is in accord with early Christian authors. They clearly teach that such sociality as man knows here is sprung from the heavenly comm1,mity which engenders him and to which he will return. Augustine, whom Thomas so clearly admires, advances this position with eloquent power.5 If, then, Thomas treats in such admirable fashion the fraternal association which is so eagerly sought in this life, what may he ,not be expected to portray of the social joys reserved for the inhabitants of the heavenly country? Of Thomas' teachings on this important point, however, there has been relatively little satisfactory interpretation.6 Among those who have interested themselves in his conception of the heavenly community are some who have emerged with professedly negative and somewhat startling results. Thus, one • Con. Gent., III, 17: "Praeterea, Bonum particulare ordinatur in bonum commune , sicut in finem; esse enim partis est propter esse totius; unde et bonum gentis est divinius quam bonum unius hominis. Bonum autem summum, quod est Deus, est bonum commune, quum ex eo universorum dependeat; bonum autem quo quaelibet res bona est, est...