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John of St. Thomas | |
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| Born | João Poinsot 9 July 1589[1] Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | 15 June 1644[1] Fraga, Spain |
| Occupation | Friar,philosopher,theologian |
| Education | University of Coimbra University of Louvain |
| Subject | Metaphysics,logic,epistemology,ethics,political philosophy,semiotics |
| Literary movement | Scholasticism,Thomism |
| Notable works | Tractatus de Signis |
John of St. ThomasO.P., bornJoão Poinsot (also calledJohn Poinsot in English; 9 July 1589 – 15 June 1644), was a PortugueseDominican friar,Thomisttheologian, and professor ofphilosophy. He is known for being an early theorist in the field ofsemiotics.
Born of noble parentage to a Portuguese mother and a father likely of Belgian descent employed byAlbert of Austria. He was then sent early to theUniversity of Coimbra, a university under theJesuits and worked under Thomas de Torres de Madrid. He displayed talents of the first order, completed his humanities and philosophy, and obtained the degree of Master of Arts. He then entered theUniversity of Louvain.[2] Here, too, he showed remarkable ability, and earned the title ofBachelor of Theology at an early age. His admiration for St. Thomas proved to be a determining motive of his, which led to him joining the Dominican Order at Madrid in 1612 when he was 23 years old, taking the name of John of St. Thomas, by which he is known to history. Immediately after his novitiate, he began teaching his younger religious confrers as professor of philosophy and theology at theUniversity of Alcalá.[3] He soon took rank among the most learned men of the time, and was placed successively (1630 and 1640) in charge of the two principal chairs of theology in the university of that city. His renown drew the largest number of scholars that had ever attended its theological faculties. He taught for 33 years
No man enjoyed a greater reputation in Spain, or was more frequently consulted on points of doctrine and ecclesiastical matters. His theological and philosophical writings, which have gone through many editions, are among the best expositions ofThomas Aquinas's doctrine, of which he is acknowledged to be one of the foremost interpreters. Though he took an active part in the scholastic discussions of his times, his courtesy was such that he is said never to have hurt an opponent's feelings. So faithful was he to the traditions of his order and the principles of the Angelic Doctor that in his last illness he could declare that, in all the thirty years he had devoted to teaching and writing, he had not taught or written anything contrary to St. Thomas. His humility and his devotion to education caused him to refuse many dignities offered him by the Church and his order. In 1643 Philip IV offered him the office of royal confessor, a position which only religious obedience could induce him to accept. His writings comprise:Cursus philosophicus Thomisticus (9 vols.);Cursus Theologici (9 vols.), which is a commentary on theSumma Theologica of St. Thomas;Tractatus de Approbatione, Auctoritate, et Puritate Doctrinae D. Thomae Aquinatis;A Compendium of Christian Doctrine (in Spanish); andA Treatise on a Happy Death (in Spanish), written at the command of Philip IV.[4] He caught a fever and died inFraga,Spain at the age of 55.[5]
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "John of St. Thomas".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.