503: Discussion Board 02

Discussion
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Augustine was one of the philosophers that sought to redefine what most of the philosophers before him had come up with. His main philosophy was to merge the ideas of the church with those of philosophy. He introduced the aspect of using philosophical ideas to support faith, instead of conflicting them.
“Christianity did not reject philosophy as an alien or merely tolerate it but sought early to enlist its support, making room for philosophy within the walls of Christendom” Augustine 177
The common world view around this philosophy speaks to the fact that the church and the state should work together for the common good of the nation. This led to a shift in the political philosophy as seen today in government that supports religious background in policy and governance.
Aquinas believed that Christianity could be separated from politics. This is the same sentiments that are echoed by Mathew 22:21 that says “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”. His philosophy with regard to politics can be viewed as follows,
“Aquinas’s endeavor to reinterpret Aristotle on the basis of the Christian faith and to reform Christian theology in terms of Aristotelian philosophy may be compared with that of the Islamic and Jewish philosophers of the middle ages, who also regarded Aristotle as the greatest of the pagan philosophers and who were faced with a similar problem of harmonizing Greek philosophy and revealed religion”
For Aquinas he saw things differently. “Like them, he was indebted to Aristotle for the distinction between speculative science and practical science as well as for the division of practical science into ethics, economics and politics.”
Today part of the world views relate to the fact that religion and politics are two different entities. This is the political philosophy that embodies the ideology that politics should play a distinct role from that religion.
As echoed in the Christian synthesis part 1, “The common world view that resonates with that of Aquinas relates to the fact that politics and religion are two different entities.In the pagan form of divine monarchy, the kings themselves were deified and exercised plenary power over their large holdings with custom, tradition, and logistical considerations moderating their practical exe...