The Life of Embryon According to Thomas Aquinas

Abstract

It is very popular among scholars to reduce the question of medieval embryology only to so called “delayed animation”, with a little reference to important philosophical background of the topic. This article present the concept of “life” in the perspective of thomistic doctrine, especially putting the emphasis on the issue of the soul as the principle of life and what does the virtus generativa means for Aquinas. He exposes in six stage of embryogenesis, which we can discover in his writings, the identity of the embryo in all process of his development. The changes of substantial forms, from vegetative one to human’s form, is contemplated by Aquinas in logical, not chronological order. That’s why for saint Thomas the abortion is considerate always as heavy moral offense contra naturam. For the integral understanding of Thomas’s view on the status of human embryo is important to take account of christological themes.