The Political Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas: Monarchy and Tyranny

This assignment examines Thomas Aquinas's political philosophy, focusing on his views on governance, particularly the contrast between monarchy and tyranny. The paper highlights Aquinas's belief in the superiority of a good monarchy, where the common good is prioritized. It discusses his justifications, including the analogy of the human body and the universe. The assignment delves into Aquinas's understanding of tyranny, emphasizing the importance of a just ruler and the potential for the people to depose a tyrant. The paper also explores Aquinas's use of historical examples, his emphasis on the role of papalists, and his belief in divine punishment for unjust rulers. The assignment concludes by highlighting Aquinas's efforts to prevent tyranny through his philosophical writings.

Thomas Aquinas portrays his understanding of the earthly end of man and the best way of
achieving the same based on the Aristotelian political theory. For the men to survive in a
harmonious community, they should be governed in a particular manner. St Thomas believed
that the best form of governance is in the form of monarchy, as long as the common good of
the citizens is taken into account by a good man. His belief proclaims that a good government
by one is far better than a bad government by many. He substantiates his writings through the
example of nature where one heart controls the whole human body or the rule of the whole
universe by one God (Breidenbach and McCormick). To discourage tyranny, St Thomas had
adopted the classical political theories of Aristotle, Polybius, Cicero, and others and writes
that the degradation of monarchy leads to tyranny. He claims that tyranny is the worst form
of government where the interests of the leader supersede the common interest of society.
The scriptures give a prominent indication as to the negativity of the tyrants by saying “A just
King improves the land; a greedy man destroys it”. In his writings, he has also shared how
general unity and peace can be maintained, and what to do under the rule of a tyrannical
government. St Thomas tried to deviate the monarchs from becoming tyrants through his
writings. He said that if the people can choose the leader, then they have the liberty to depose
them if the former become tyrants (Enloe). He uses examples from Roman History to set an
example to avoid such steps. He keeps on strengthening the point that the tyrant can be
deposed if he fails to do his duty as a just ruler. If deposing of the ruler fails, then the people
can seek the help of the papalists. Lastly, he adds that God ultimately punishes the sins of his
subjects. Through his scriptures and writings, St Thomas has tried to create a fear factor
among the people to prevent a tyranny of any type.
Bibliography
Breidenbach, Michael D. and William McCormick. “Aquinas on Tyranny, Resistance, and
the End of Politics.” Perspectives on Political Science (2015): 10-17.

Enloe, Tim. “St. Thomas Aquinas on Tyrants and Tyranny.” 23 February 2008. Societas
Christiana. 10 July 2019 <http://tgenloe.com/sc/?p=560>.