Chapter 81 — Of the ordering of men among themselves and to other things

In comparison with other intellectual substances, the human soul holds the lowest place, because, as we have already stated, (Ch. 80.) when it is first created it receives knowledge of the order of divine providence only in a general way; but in order to acquire perfect knowledge of that order in individual matters, it needs to start from these very things in which the order of divine providence is already established in detail. Consequently, the human soul needs bodily organs so as to be able to receive knowledge from things having bodies. And yet, on account of the weakness of its intellectual light, it is unable to acquire perfect knowledge of things that concern man without the help of higher spirits, God so disposing that the lower spirits reach perfection through the higher, as we have already proved. (Ch. 79.) Since, however, man has some share of intellectual light, dumb animals (which have none at all) are subject to man, according to the order of divine providence. Hence it is said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, that is to say, inasmuch as he is an intelligent being, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the beasts of the earth (Vulgate: beasts, and the whole earth.) (Gen 1:26).

Dumb animals, though bereft of intellect, are yet placed by the order of divine providence above plants and other things devoid of knowledge, since they have some kind of knowledge. Hence it is said: Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food, and to every beast of the earth (Gen 1:29–30).

Among those that are wholly bereft of knowledge, one thing is placed before another according as one is more capable of action than another. For they have no share in the disposition of providence, but only in the execution.

And since man has both intelligence, and sense, and bodily powers, these things are dependent on one another according to the disposition of divine providence, in likeness to the order to be observed in the universe. For bodily power is subject to the powers of sense and intellect, as carrying out their commands, and the sensitive power is subject to the intellective, and is controlled by its rule.

In the same way, we find order among men. For those who excel in intelligence are naturally rulers, whereas those who are less intelligent, but strong in body, seem made by nature for service, as Aristotle says in his Politics. (Politics 1.2. [13] seqq.) The statement of Solomon is in agreement with this: The fool will be servant to the wise (Prov 11:29); as also the words of Exodus: Choose wise (Vulgate: able.) men from all the people . . . and let them judge the people at all times (Exod 18:21–22).

And just as in the works of one man, there is disorder through the intellect following the sensual faculty, while the sensual faculty, through indisposition of the body, is drawn to the movement of the body, as instanced in those who limp: so too, in human government disorder results from a man being set in authority not on account of his excelling in intelligence, but because he has usurped the government by bodily force, or has been appointed to rule through motives of sensual affection. Nor does Solomon omit to mention this disorder, for he says: There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: folly is set in many high places (Eccl 10:5–6). Now divine providence does not exclude a disorder of this kind: for it results, by God’s permission, from the fault of the inferior agents; even as we have said of other evils. (Ch. 71.) Nor is the natural order wholly perverted by such a disorder: for the government of fools is weak, unless it be strengthened by the counsels of the wise. Hence it is said: Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war (Prov 20:18); and: A wise man is strong, and a knowing man, stout and valiant: for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory (Prov 24:5–6). And since the counsellor rules him who receives his counsel, and governs him in a sense, it is said that a slave who deals wisely will rule over foolish sons (Prov 17:2).

It is therefore evident that divine providence imposes order on all things, and thus the Apostle says truly that the things which are of God are well ordered (Vulgate: quae autem sunt, a Deo ordinatae sunt. St. Thomas invariably quotes this passage as rendered above.) (Rom 13:1).