Thomas Aquinas’ Ecological Philosophy as a Valid Spirituality

Abstract

In the context of the diverse crises of this day and age, the ecological crisis comes to the fore by reason of its apocalypticness. Its cause is cited as being the objectification and exploitation of nature, a vision cultivated by New Age philosophy and its fellow traveller, New Age science. Its mediate cause is said to be the biblical vision of the world as presented in the philosophical reflections of Thomas Aquinas. Despite an evident anachronism, the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas contains, particularly in so far as principles go, a philosophy of ecology, or rather an appropriate attitude and relationship toward the world. Ecology is viewed in its various dimensions –metaphysical, epistemological and ethical — and so we may say that Aquinas considers that the world was created by God as an ordered and unique whole which displays its beauty as well as the beauty of the Creator, and which was bequeathed to man that he may have dominion over it. In this created world, man has a special spiritual and physically imperfect position by means of which he enters into either a unique, edifying relationship with it, or a destructive one. The nature of the world is to him a normative and regulative activity principle wherewith a realistic position is established and an appropriate attitude is formed.