This research is entitled "Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. A comparative study of their main theses". This research makes a comparison of metaphysics, understanding of God, moral theory freedom, natural law and self-cognition of those two thinkers.
The summary is as follows: (1) Metaphysics: This study compares the metaphysics of the two thinkers centering on the notion of creation. One interprets and explains creation in terms of Neoplatonism and the other, in terms of his own metaphysics, which is a synthesis of Platonism, Neoplatonism and Aristotelianism. (2) Understanding of God: For both thinkers God is "the being itself" and the creator. One proposes 'the internal way" from the soul to God and the other proposes the mind-external way to God through the sensible world, (3) Moral theory: The ethical theory of Augustine is not to be interpreted as an appendix to Aristotle. It is to be evaluated as a comprehensive ethics teaching for man who, in the concrete situation. His ethical teaching represents a Mediaeval ethics which renders into account man's moral responsibility as well as the problems of man's salvation and that of moral evil. In the case of Thomas Aquinas, the situation is different. Man is a composite of the spiritual soul and the material body. The soul, however, not only the substantial form of the body but is a subsisting form also. As a result, man is the subject of the truth and the good, which transcend the material world. But man, as an imperfect being, can obtain his complete self-fulfillment, which is supernatural, only with the aid of grace from God. (4) Human freedom; That the Augustinian theodicy oriented to the righteousness does not easily lend itself to be applicable to the human condition, is an object of possible criticism. But a theological-anthropological consideration, which gives due respect to God's grace, which signifies divine mercy and generosity toward man, can understand the Augustinian theory of freedom as the symbol of true liberation of man. According to Thomas Aquinas, for the salvation of man, the grace of God is absolutely necessary but, on the part of man, the readiness to receive the grace is necessary. God's causal action does not destroy but preserve the human freedom. (5) Natural law: This study attempts to justify that the foundation of the natural law as participation in the eternal law. The human law reflects the natural law and has its ultimate end the establishment of the common good and the demands of justice. (6) Self-cognition: Both Augustine and Thomas Aquinas distinguish on the level of consciousness the self cognition and, as its prerequisite condition, pre-reflective and pre-conscious self-cognition. Augustine claims, even on the level of consciousness, an immediate self-cognition is possible by means of the essence; Thomas Aquinas claims, on the level of consciousness, only an indirect self-cognition is possible.