Aquinas Flashcards
What does Aquinas believe the soul is to the body?
According to Aquinas (based on Aristotle’s views) the soul is the anima of the body meaning it gives life to the body and is the source of all activity. The body and soul are a psycho-physical unity.
Why is the soul able to survive the death of the body?
Because Aquinas believes only things that are divisible into parts decay. The soul is not divisible therefore survives death retaining the individual identity of the body it was attached to.
What does it say about resurrection in 1 Corinthians?
‘It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body”
What happens to the soul when we die?
When the body does the soul subsists in purgatory until it is cleansed enough to be reunited with the resurrection body.
Why is the spiritual body necessary?
Aquinas thought that the spiritual body is necessary in order to give some kind of identity to the soul (to individuate it).
Criticism// Is Aquinas’ view really soft materialist not dualist, as it is possible for the soul to exist separate from the body in purgatory.
Counter// The soul completes the body so therefore surely the death is not complete until re-united with the body. The soul isn’t complete without the body so it doesn’t have an independent existence.
Criticism// Aquinas’ view is scriptural but the Bible contains no reference to purgatory or clear teaching on resurrection.
Counter// Aquinas is just trying to render the scriptures coherent. Nothing in his account contradicts scripture.
