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ARTICLE
TITLE: Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 146
DATE: N.A
AUTHOR: Saint
Thomas Aquinas
AUTHOR
INFORMATION: Saint Thomas Aquinas O.P. (also Thomas of
Aquin or Aquino; ca. 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian priest of the Catholic
Church in the Dominican Order, and an immensely influential philosopher and
theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus and
Doctor Communis. He is frequently referred to as Thomas because
"Aquinas" refers to his residence rather than his surname. He was the
foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of the
Thomistic school of philosophy and theology. His influence on Western thought
is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived as a reaction
against, or as an agreement with, his ideas, particularly in the areas of
ethics, natural law and political theory.
The following is a summary of Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 146,
which was written by Aquinas prior to writing the Summa Theologica. St.
Thomas was a vocal supporter of the death penalty. This was based on the theory
(found in natural moral law), that the state has not only the right, but the duty to
protect its citizens from enemies, both from within, and without.
For those who have been appropriately appointed,
there is no sin in administering punishment. For those who refuse to obey God's
laws, it is correct for society to rebuke them with civil and criminal
sanctions. No one sins working for justice, within the law. Actions that are
necessary to preserve the good of society are not inherently evil. The common
good of the whole society is greater and better than the good of any particular
person. "The life of certain pestiferous men is an impediment to the
common good which is the concord of human society. Therefore, certain men must
be removed by death from the society of men." This is likened to the
physician who must amputate a diseased limb, or a cancer, for the good of the
whole person. He based this on I Corinthians 5, 6: "You know that a little
leaven corrupts the whole lump of dough?" and I Corinthians 5, 13: "Put away the evil one
from among yourselves"; Romans 13,4:
"[it is said of earthly power that] he bears not the sword in vain: for he
is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil"; I Peter 2, 13-14: "Be subjected therefore
to every human creature for God's sake: whether to be on the king as excelling,
or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the
praise of good." He believed these passages superseded the text of Exodus 20,13: "Thou shall not kill."
This is mentioned again in Matthew 5,21. Also, it is argued that Matthew 13, 30: "Suffer both the weeds and
the wheat to grow until the harvest." The harvest was interpreted as
meaning the end of the world. This is explained by Matthew 13,38-40.
Aquinas acknowledged these passages could also be
interpreted as meaning there should be no use of the death penalty if there was
a chance of injuring the innocent. The prohibition "Thou shall not kill",
was superseded by Exodus 22,18:
"Wrongdoers you shall not suffer to live." The argument that
evildoers should be allowed to live in the hope that they might be redeemed was
rejected by Aquinas as frivolous. If they would not repent in the face of
death, it was unreasonable to assume they would ever repent. "How many
people are we to allow to be murdered while waiting for the repentance of the
wrongdoer?", he asked, rhetorically. Using the death penalty for
revenge, or retribution is a violation of natural moral law.
Many believe the correct interpretation of the
commandment to be "Thou shalt not murder." This interpretation allows
for Aquinas' belief that the death penalty is an acceptable practice as
delivered by those in authority over such things, such as government, which is
divinely appointed as to God's will.
Under Pope John Paul II, the Catholic Church came,
according to one of two interpretations of Evangelium Vitae, to advocate incarceration
in lieu of the death penalty.
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