Christian History: A Comparison of Clairvaux and Aquinas' Philosophies

This report delves into the contrasting philosophies of Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Aquinas within the context of Christian history. The report begins by highlighting Clairvaux's emphasis on free will, asserting that individuals with rational thought should be allowed to act freely, while also acknowledging limitations in those who are mentally handicapped, non-rational animals, and children. The report then contrasts this with Aquinas's scholastic perspective, which posits that all humans have an ultimate end, which is the pursuit of God. The report further explores the differences between the two philosophers, with a focus on human happiness and the role of free will. It concludes by suggesting that the mystic viewpoint is more pertinent for the understanding of human beings. The report utilizes the works of several scholars to support its arguments.

Running head: CHRISTIAN HISTORY
Christian History
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1CHRISTIAN HISTORY
Section One
From the writings of both Clairvaux and Aquinas, it can be seen that there are almost
nothing to be considered among these two persons. Bernard of Clairvaux has been a prominent
supporter of the free will among the human beings. He has described the free will of the humans
as the rational appetite (Knight, 2015). Therefore, the moral responsibility lies in the fact that
human beings should be permitted to perform their activities in a free will. Bernard of Clairvaux
has opined that people who have clear thought and proper intellect will be able to act with a free
mind. Therefore, the point of views of a mystic like Clairvaux is very meaningful from a lot of
points (Knight, 2017). He further says that mentally handicapped people, non-rational animals
and children would not be able to act or think with a free will (Knight, 2017, p. 60).
The descriptions of the scholastic philosopher Aquinas on the contrary, have been a very
important matter for the considerations (Lynch, 2014). He has described his theories through the
fact that all the humans have their ultimate aim at the end of their lives. He also intensifies his
view by saying that this kind of ultimate end can be perceived as the only thing that the human
beings will look to achieve (McGinn, 2014). Though the things said by Aquinas have many
things in common with that of Aristotle, his view on the ultimate end of life does not match with
that of Aristotle. Aquinas believed that the happiness of the human beings depends on knowing
and loving God.
Section Two
It seems that the mystic opinion is more pertinent for the understanding of the human
beings. Human beings will always look to be happy and achieve their own dreams. They should
act freely as per their own accord (Knight, 2017). If the human beings listen to the scholastic

2CHRISTIAN HISTORY
opinions, they will always have to be very much worried about their happiness that relates to
God only (Lynch, 2014). However, the difference between Aquinas and Bernard of Clairvaux
lies in their views on the different human beings. The happiness on the human beings depends on
their free will only.

3CHRISTIAN HISTORY
References and Bibliography
Knight, G. R. (2017). The correspondence between Peter the Venerable and Bernard of
Clairvaux: a semantic and structural analysis. Routledge.
Knight, H. (2015). Saint Bernard of Clairvaux on Experience. Medieval Mystical
Theology, 24(1), 59-79.
Lynch, J. (2014). The medieval church: a brief history. Routledge.
McGinn, B. (2014). Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae: A Biography (Vol. 20). Princeton
University Press.