Religious Inspiration in St. Thomas Aquinas’ Natural Science System

The article discusses chief aspects of religious inspiration of the views of St. Thomas on science. The main tenets of the Christian religion provided the Dominican scholar with an opportunity for critical assessment of various views of Aristotle and other Greek thinkers. As he built his system of metaphysical knowledge, Aquinas often spoke on subjects of nature and scientific methodology. His discussions reveal multiple religious influences and a religious inspiration to expand the fi eld of the human vision of the world while preserving the autonomy of respective sciences. Study of his views helps place the distinguished 13th-century author in the history of scientific development in Western thought.

The article discusses chief aspects of religious inspiration of the views of St. Thomas on science. The main tenets of the Christian religion provided the Dominican scholar with an opportunity for critical assessment of various views of Aristotle and other Greek thinkers. As he built his system of metaphysical knowledge, Aquinas often spoke on subjects of nature and scientific methodology. His discussions reveal multiple religious influences and a religious inspiration to expand the fi eld of the human vision of the world while preserving the autonomy of respective sciences. Study of his views helps place the distinguished 13th-century author in the history of scientific development in Western thought.