The Morality of Rural Development as Reflected from the Philosophy of St.

Thomas Aquinas

by
sheila g. dolipas

Rural Development
1. expanding and the aim of rural improving irrigation development is and drainage facilities improving the 2. satisfying raw materials well-being, alocal requirement for better of housing quality and construction industryfamilies life-of 3. and intensifying and individuals improving the efficiency in the rural of production (Gomez 4. areas. improving the efficiency and Juliano, 1978) of post harvest and marketing operations. Accelerated Growth Goal Distribution of the services, and Thisresources, is a planned opportunities change thru equitably intervention among thethe various to improve quality of segments ofresources, the soceity services, or opportunities

Equitable Distribution Goal

Approaches to Rural Development

Production Resource Transformation
Focuses on the development and adaptation This is generally concerned with the increases in the of the institutions providing products and levels of production, improvement services. of products, distributions of production capabilities as well as in Social Service sharing ofTransformation production inputs.

It involves the improvement in the scope, quality, and distribution of such amenities or services. (i.e. programs on nutrition, Institutional Structure Transformation population, out-of-school youth training, etc.)

Would the approaches, goals, and aims of rural development be morally right according to St. Thomas Aquinas?

Paradigm of the Report

The Philosophy of Man by Thomas Aquinas

The morality of Rural Development

Primarily a THEOLOGIAN Arrived to his conclusions using methods in PHILOSOPHY (i.e. Aristotle)
THE GREAT SYNTHESIZER

Socrates Plato

Neo-Platonism
St Augustine

St. Thomas Aquinas is claimed to have synthesized the pagan Aristotle with the Christian and Platonic with the Aristotelian in an effort to best communicate aviccena the TRUTH
Averroes Maimonides

Medieval Philosophy

Heretical Westerners

St. THOMAS AQUINAS

Profile
Died monks Educated by Benedictine Also known as 7 March 1274 Canonized Doctor Angelicus; Born He secretly joined the mendicant Dominican at Fossanuova near Terracinafriars Doctor 1225Communis; at Roccasecca, Aquino, in 1244 of apparent natural causes; 1323 Thefamily Dumb Naples, Ox; Italy and imprisoned him for His noble kidnapped relics at Saint-Servin, The Universal Teacher a year to keep him out of sight, France and deprogram him, Toulouse, but he rejoined his order in 1245
Ordained in 1250
Taught theology at University of Paris. He won his doctorate, and taught in several Italian cities. Son of the Count of Aquino

Profile
On 6 December 1273 he influential experienced a His works have been divine revelation. to the thinking of the Church ever since. Pope Leo VIII commanded that his teachings be studied by all theology students. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1567.

His Works Commentaries on the Logic, Physics, Metaphysics, and Ethics of Aristotle; SUMMAE on the Scriptures; The Summa contra Gentiles on Dionysius the Areopagite; QUESTIONS (A Summary theof Gentiles), on the Four Books ofAgainst Sentences Peter Lombard.
Quaestiones (Disputed Questions): The Disputatae Summa Theologica De Veritate (On Truth), (A Summary of Theology) De Anima (On the Soul), De Potentia (On Power), De Ente et Essentia (On Being and Essence); De Malo (On Evil), etc.; De Unitate Intellectus (OnQuodlibetales the Unity of the Intellect), Quaestiones written against the Averroists; (Questions About Any Subject).

OPUSCULA

De Regimine Principum (On the Rule of Princes).

His Philosophy and Theology

Aquinas was the FIRST to recognize that ARISTOTOLIAN intellectualism would be of great help for the study of Philosophy and well as Theology
Averroist theory of the double truth VS. the Augustinians

philosophy and No real distinction theology are not onlybetween separate but philosophy and they are opposed theology can be made Made sure that philosophy and theoloy played contemporary
roles in the humans quest for truth

His Philosophy and Theology

Philosophy begins with THEOLOGY begins the immediate objects with a faith in GOD of sense experience and interprets all and reasonPHILOSOPHY upward to Are not contradictoryTHEOLOGY things as creatures more general of each other of GOD conceptions; and eventually the conception of GOD

&

- Play important role to one another Some TRUTHS can be known only thru revelation and others thru experience; others are known through both equally

The Nature of the Human Person

The source and the ultimate end of GOD
Doing evil If human goes therefore is not in against his accordance with nature then he is the nature of the going against the human person moral law

The human The real meaning The moral law person is good of ones existence is the dictate because the can be obtained if of the voice CREATOR is good. he follow his nature of reason as good

The GOOD must be done, and EVIL be AVOIDED.

The Threefold Inclination of the Human Person

A person under Any act of is intervention a basic that will moral frustrate The capacity to and stifle the very obligation to purpose of life treat others with protect his reproduction are the same dignity and health unnatural therefore, and respect that immoral he accords to himself 1. SelfPreservation 2. Just Dealing with Others
3. Propagation of Species

The Determinants Moral Action

If the end is in consonance with the natural moral law then the action is considered to be good.

1.

The object or the end of an action

(finis operans)

The Determinants of Moral Action

2. Circumstances

Circumstantiae

This is a condition where given circumstances will either mitigate or aggravate the goodness or badness of a particular act

The Determinants of Moral Action

3. The intention of the agent

(finis operantis)
A good act with a bad motive makes the moral action bad

The Determinants of Moral Action

1.

The object or the end of an action

2. Circumstances

Circumstantiae

(finis operans)

3. The intention of the agent

(finis operantis)

The Principles as BASIS of Moral Actions

1. The principle of the double effect

responsibility of or at 2. action The Principle of must 1. The directly intended be good in any itself or remove It The is the duty of of 5. principle protecting his least morally indifferent. TOTALITY defective or wornevery individual spiritual and bodily sexuality and out, non2. The good effect must follow from the action as care person to take functions. procreation functioning part of immediately as the evil effect. (Simultaneous) of this life until GOD 3. The Principle of his or body for takes ither back from 3. The foreseen evil effect may not the be intended or approved Stewardship general wellus. but merely permitted to occur being of the whole body 4. There must be a proportionate and sufficient reason for allowing the evil to occur while performing the action

4. Four The principle of Conditions of the An individual may inviolability of Principle The human person be given the right human life has the to cut-off, mutilate,

The Rights and Duties of a Human Person

1. The Right to LIFE 1. The duty to keep healthy and to take care of oneself. 2. The Duty to take care of ones property and respect the property of others

2. The Right to PRIVATE PROPERTY

The Rights and Duties of a Human Person

3. The Right to MARRY 4. The right to physical freedom or personal liberty 3. The duty to support ones family 4. The duty to respect private boundaries

The Rights and Duties of a Human Person

5. The Right to WORSHIP 6. The right to work 5. The duty for religious tolerance 6. The duty to perform at ones best

The Morality of the Aim of Rural Development

the aim of rural development is improving the wellbeing, a better quality of life-of families and individuals in the rural areas. (Gomez
and Juliano, 1978)
Morally Right

Right to Life It adheres to the Duty to Take Careof of Natural inclination One self SELF-PRESERVATION

Morality of the Goals of Rural Development

Accelerated Growth Goal MORALLY RIGHT

Distribution of the This is a planned services, resources, and change thru intervention opportunities equitably to improve the quality of among the various services, resources, or segments of the society opportunities
Equitable Distribution Goal

Application of the principle of double effect and the principle of totality

The Morality of the Approaches of Rural Development

Production Resource Transformation Social Service Transformation
By themselves are morally indifferent

The specifics of each approach will determine its morality

Institutional Structure Transformation

Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.

Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Thomas Aquinas