The animal condition in Aquinas' philosophy

Abstract

The animal question underlines the history of philosophy, but as a marginal theme. In fact, the animal usually served as a matter of support from which erects man’s humanity. So, the animal condition is in the shape of witness of man’s dignity. It’s not different in Aquinas’ thought. For him, animals fill a space in the world to offer comfort, security and food to man. By divine ordination, there is a scale of division to the beings according to the grade of perfection of each one of them, starting in life in its primitive stage, reaching animals and, after, the edge of this scale: the man. The space that each one occupies in this scale of perfection reflects in the moral plan and the protection is reserved only for the one of the last stage. The objective of this text is to expose and analyze the way that Aquinas thought the animal condition, considering at first the core of Aquinas’ thought, that is: man as rational, social and politician animal. Afterwards, both Aquinas’ theory of construction – the creationism – and its reflection in the moral sphere – the perfectionism – are analyzed.