CRITICISM OF ORIGEN BY THOMAS AQUINAS

Thomas Aquinas is important in the history of Christian religious philosophy first of all by his transition from the characteristic to patristic Platonic paradigm to Aristotle’s one. He argues actively with the known to him texts of Plato, with Neo-Platonic ideas of Platonism and with Platonism adapted early Christian thinkers. One of the important figures in the philosophy of the patristic was Origen (185–254), supposed to be a disciple of the founder of Neo-Platonic school of Ammonius Saccas. Many of the ideas of Origen were criticized and considered as heretical, but their effect persisted throughout the Middle Ages. Thomas Aquinas repeatedly addressed to the works and ideas of Origen too. Origen cited by Thomas Aquinas more than 1,100 times although most of the passages (650) are in the «Golden Chain» (Catena Aurea), the compilation of quotes from the commentaries of the Church Fathers to the Gospel. However this fact indicates that Origen is an important author to Thomas. In his more philosophical writings («Comments on the “Sentences”», «Summa contra Gentiles», «Summa Theologica», «Discussion Questions», etc.) Thomas refers to the works of Origen about 200 times, for the most part in the «Summa Theologica» (more than 70). Thomas Aquinas appeals to authority of Origen considering problem of free will when he rejects the direct influence of the devil in the will of man (S. Th. 1, q. 114, a. 3; S. Th. 2–1, q. 80, a. 4). In some matters Thomas does not come to a definite resolution, for example, in matters of animation of the heavenly bodies: Origen (like Plato) believed they were animated, Damascus denied it, and Augustine (II super Genes . ad litteram) left it unresolved (Q. d. de anima, a. 8, ad 3.). However, Thomas Aquinas criticized many of the Origen‘s positions. In his earlier work «Commentary on the Sentences» Thomas criticizes the position of Origen rejecting physicality of Paradise (Super Sent., Lib. 2 d. 17 q. 3 a. 2 co). In the «Summa contra gentiles» and «Summa Theologica» two Origen’s positions are criticized: the hypothesis of the existence of souls before the body and accidentality of their connection (S. Th. 2–1, q. 118, a. 34; SCG, lib. 2 cap. 83), and the hypothesis that the difference in the material world is the result of different sins created equal and disembodied souls (S.Th. 1, q. 47, a. 2; SCG 2 c. 44; De potentia, q. 3 a. 10). An analysis of the various provisions of the critics of Origen Thomas Aquinas can distinguish the main difference between them: it is a different assessment of the corporeal world. Origen (and other Neoplatonists) belonged to the corporeal world as negative one, while Thomas rehabilitates physicality on basis of Aristotelian philosophy («the soul is the form of the body») and Christian optimistic view («God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good» (Gen. 1, 31)).