Aquinas on the nature and treatment of animals

Unlike contemporary philosophers of his time, Aquinas did not think one could adequately study human nature apart from the world of nature and animal life. Dr. Barad argues that Thomas Aquinas incorporates evolutionary concepts into many of his teachings. While elements of a proto-Darwinian formulation exist and while on the ontological and epistemological levels Aquinas emphasizes the continuity between human and other animals, some of his ethical exhortations regarding animals do not take this continuity into account. This study examines Aquinas' inconsistency in these areas and suggests how his various texts can be reconciled. Barad provides a coherent foundation for a contemporary consideration of the rights of animals compatible with evolutionary theory.