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《St. Thomas Aquinas on Human and Divine Forgiveness》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、St.ThomasAquinasonHumanandDivineForgivenessMontagueBrownSaintAnselmCollegeTwomajorinfluencesguideSt.ThomasAquinasinhisdiscussionsofforgiveness—GreekandRomanphilosophicalthoughtandChristianRevelation.Althoughthereiscertainlysomenotionofforgiveness,huma
2、nanddivine,inpaganthought,itturnsouttobequitedifferentfromChristianforgiveness.ThefoundationsforthisdifferencelieinhowpagansandChristiansunderstandwhatitistobehumanandthemeaningofdivinity.Inthispaper,weshallnottrytotraceouttheintricaterelationsbetween
3、paganandChristianthoughtonmattershumananddivine.Rather,weshalllimitourselvestoaconsiderationofthenotionofforgivenessasitmaybefoundinAristotleandinSt.Thomas.Inbothcases,themodelofhumanforgivenessiscloselyassociatedwiththatofdivineforgiveness.InGreekrel
4、igion,thegodsaremostlyinourimage:althoughtheyareimmortalandcertainlymorepowerful,theyarenotreallymuchbetterthanweare.Becauseoftheirpower,itisimportantforustopropitiatethem,togetthemtohelpusortoturnawaytheirwrath.Theproblemisthatthispowerofthegodsisnot
5、stronglytiedtoasenseofmoralresponsibilityeitheramongthegodsthemselvesortowardsus.Thegodsseemtoberatherindifferentaboutus.Eithertheyseeusastheirplaythings,goodforentertainment,ortheyhavemoreimportantthingstodothantocareaboutus.Whatismore,thepaganviewth
6、atfaterulesinexorablyovergodsandmenalikecallsintoquestionboththeneedforandthepossibilityofhumanordivineforgiveness.PlatoandAristotleworkagainstthistrendtowardfatedmeaninglessness,seekingtopurifytheideasofgoodnessanddivinity.Inmanywaystheyaresuccessful
7、,butatthecostofcreatingavastgulfbetweenthehumanandthedivine.ForPlato,humanlifeinthisworldislikebeinginaprison:itisonlybyescapingfromthehumanandthehistoricalthatwemayhopetoreachthedivineandfindourhappiness.Aristotle’snotionofdivinity—pureactuality,self
8、-thinkingthought—doesnotseemtobeinanyrealrelationtous,suchthatcommunicationofforgivenessfromGodtouswouldbeatallpossible.Inthispaper,weshallnottrytotraceouttheintricaterelationsbetweenpaganandChristianthoughtonmattershumananddivine.Rather,wesha
