Divine Origin of Power: Theories and Thomas Aquinas’ Five Ways
Theories of the Divine Origin of Power
Theistic philosophers believe that sovereign power is ultimately given by God.
The meaning of this statement is as follows:
- a) Human beings can, with reason, understand that there is a God as a supreme being.
- b) God wants perfection and fulfillment of man as man, to reach the fullness needed to live in society. This means that society is something willed by God.
- c) For the proper functioning of society, there must be an authority. This means that the same God who desires the good of man and society wants that authority, without which social life would not be possible.
Divine Right Absolutism
Bossuet advocated for absolutism of divine right, according to which the sovereign receives power and legitimacy directly from God. Bossuet thought that the power of the kings of European Christian monarchies was legitimized by God directly in the same way. Bossuet believed that hereditary monarchy was the only valid form of government, and therefore the only one beloved by God.
Theory of Description
Zigliara and Billot argued for the theory of description, which states that the people designate who should be the sovereign, but the sovereign receives this power from God.
Theory of Delegation
Balmes, Suarez, and Duns Scotus supported the theory of delegation, which is the most widely accepted theory within theism. It posits that God gives power to the people as a society, and then the people delegate that authority to a sovereign.
The first recipient of authority in a society is the people themselves: God gives the whole of society the power to rule over each of the members to act towards the common good. Then, the people give this power to the sovereign.
Structure of the “Ways” of Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas approaches the existence of God through five ways:
- Starting point: A fact of direct experience, evident from experience.
- Metaphysical principle: That is, a necessary and clear statement on the essence of things. Always the principle of causality.
- Establishment of a number of elements, each of which is the reason for the previous question.
- Point: Denial of the infinity of the series and recognition of an absolute principle of it.
The Five “Ways”
1st) For the Movement of Human Beings
Starting point: There are things that move.
Metaphysical principle: Everything that moves is moved by another.
Point: There is a First Unmoved Mover.
2nd) On the Causality of Beings
3rd) For the Contingency of Beings
Starting point: There are contingent beings (beings that might not have existed).
Metaphysical principle: Every contingent being exists because of another.
Finishing point: There is a Necessary Being, which exists by itself.
4th) For the Degrees of Perfection
Starting point: There are beings who have the same perfection in varying degrees of limitation.
Metaphysical principle: Limited perfections that a being has are not from itself, but received from another.
Point: There is a Being supremely perfect, unlimited, and existing by itself.
5th) By Order of the World
Starting point: There are things (like many living beings) that, despite the lack of intelligence, act with admirable order and are leading to an end.
Metaphysical principle: That order or purpose (the disposal of many things to an end), in non-intelligent beings, is caused remotely by another being, intelligent and capable of proposing goals.
Point: There is ultimately a Supreme Intelligence, who works smartly and purposefully, ordering all these beings.