Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that "paternal right" and "right of dominion" should not be distinguished as special species. For it belongs to justice to render to each one what is his, as Ambrose states (De Offic. i, 24). Now right is the object of justice, as stated above (Article 1). Therefore right belongs to each one equally; and we ought not to distinguish the rights of fathers and masters as distinct species.

Objection 2: Further, the law is an expression of what is just, as stated above (Article 1, ad 2). Now a law looks to the common good of a city or kingdom, as stated above (1.2, Question 90, Article 2), but not to the private good of an individual or even of one household. Therefore there is no need for a special right of dominion or paternal right, since the master and the father pertain to a household, as stated in Polit. i, 2.

Objection 3: Further, there are many other differences of degrees among men, for instance some are soldiers, some are priests, some are princes. Therefore some special kind of right should be allotted to them.

On the contrary, The Philosopher (Ethic. v, 6) distinguishes right of dominion, paternal right and so on as species distinct from civil right.

I answer that, Right or just depends on commensuration with another person. Now "another" has a twofold signification. First, it may denote something that is other simply, as that which is altogether distinct; as, for example, two men neither of whom is subject to the other, and both of whom are subjects of the ruler of the state; and between these according to the Philosopher (Ethic. v, 6) there is the "just" simply. Secondly a thing is said to be other from something else, not simply, but as belonging in some way to that something else: and in this way, as regards human affairs, a son belongs to his father, since he is part of him somewhat, as stated in Ethic. viii, 12, and a slave belongs to his master, because he is his instrument, as stated in Polit. i, 2 . Hence a father is not compared to his son as to another simply, and so between them there is not the just simply, but a kind of just, called "paternal." In like manner neither is there the just simply, between master and servant, but that which is called "dominative." A wife, though she is something belonging to the husband, since she stands related to him as to her own body, as the Apostle declares (Eph. 5:28), is nevertheless more distinct from her husband, than a son from his father, or a slave from his master: for she is received into a kind of social life, that of matrimony, wherefore according to the Philosopher (Ethic. v, 6) there is more scope for justice between husband and wife than between father and son, or master and slave, because, as husband and wife have an immediate relation to the community of the household, as stated in Polit. i, 2,5, it follows that between them there is "domestic justice" rather than "civic."

Reply to Objection 1: It belongs to justice to render to each one his right, the distinction between individuals being presupposed: for if a man gives himself his due, this is not strictly called "just." And since what belongs to the son is his father's, and what belongs to the slave is his master's, it follows that properly speaking there is not justice of father to son, or of master to slave.

Reply to Objection 2: A son, as such, belongs to his father, and a slave, as such, belongs to his master; yet each, considered as a man, is something having separate existence and distinct from others. Hence in so far as each of them is a man, there is justice towards them in a way: and for this reason too there are certain laws regulating the relations of father to his son, and of a master to his slave; but in so far as each is something belonging to another, the perfect idea of "right" or "just" is wanting to them.

Reply to Objection 3: All other differences between one person and another in a state, have an immediate relation to the community of the state and to its ruler, wherefore there is just towards them in the perfect sense of justice. This "just" however is distinguished according to various offices, hence when we speak of "military," or "magisterial," or "priestly" right, it is not as though such rights fell short of the simply right, as when we speak of "paternal" right, or right of "dominion," but for the reason that something proper is due to each class of person in respect of his particular office.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non debeat specialiter distingui ius paternum et dominativum.

Ad iustitiam enim pertinet reddere unicuique quod suum est; ut dicit Ambrosius, in I de officiis.

Sed ius est obiectum iustitiae, sicut dictum est.

Ergo ius ad unumquemque aequaliter pertinet.

Et sic non debet distingui specialiter ius patris et domini.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, ratio iusti est lex, ut dictum est.

Sed lex respicit commune bonum civitatis et regni, ut supra habitum est, non autem respicit bonum privatum unius personae, aut etiam unius familiae. Non ergo debet esse aliquod speciale ius vel iustum dominativum vel paternum, cum dominus et pater pertineant ad domum, ut dicitur in I polit..

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, multae aliae sunt differentiae graduum in hominibus, ut puta quod quidam sunt milites, quidam sacerdotes, quidam principes. Ergo ad eos debet aliquod speciale iustum determinari.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod philosophus, in V ethic., specialiter a iusto politico distinguit dominativum et paternum, et alia huiusmodi.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod ius, sive iustum dicitur per commensurationem ad alterum. Alterum autem potest dici dupliciter.

Uno modo, quod simpliciter est alterum, sicut quod est omnino distinctum, sicut apparet in duobus hominibus quorum unus non est sub altero, sed ambo sunt sub uno principe civitatis. Et inter tales, secundum philosophum, in V ethic., est simpliciter iustum.

Alio modo dicitur aliquid alterum non simpliciter, sed quasi aliquid eius existens. Et hoc modo in rebus humanis filius est aliquid patris, quia quodammodo est pars eius, ut dicitur in VIII ethic.; et servus est aliquid domini, quia est instrumentum eius, ut dicitur in I polit..

Et ideo patris ad filium non est comparatio sicut ad simpliciter alterum, et propter hoc non est ibi simpliciter iustum, sed quoddam iustum, scilicet paternum. Et eadem ratione nec inter dominum et servum, sed est inter eos dominativum iustum. Uxor autem, quamvis sit aliquid viri, quia comparatur ad eam sicut ad proprium corpus, ut patet per apostolum, ad Ephes. V; tamen magis distinguitur a viro quam filius a patre vel servus a domino, assumitur enim in quandam socialem vitam matrimonii.

Et ideo, ut philosophus dicit, inter virum et uxorem plus est de ratione iusti quam inter patrem et filium, vel dominum et servum.

Quia tamen vir et uxor habent immediatam relationem ad domesticam communitatem, ut patet in I polit.; ideo inter eos non est etiam simpliciter politicum iustum, sed magis iustum oeconomicum.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod ad iustitiam pertinet reddere ius suum unicuique, supposita tamen diversitate unius ad alterum, si quis enim sibi det quod sibi debetur, non proprie vocatur hoc iustum. Et quia quod est filii est patris, et quod est servi est domini, ideo non est proprie iustitia patris ad filium, vel domini ad servum.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod filius, inquantum filius, est aliquid patris; et similiter servus, inquantum servus, est aliquid domini.

Uterque tamen prout consideratur ut quidam homo, est aliquid secundum se subsistens ab aliis distinctum. Et ideo inquantum uterque est homo, aliquo modo ad eos est iustitia. Et propter hoc etiam aliquae leges dantur de his quae sunt patris ad filium, vel domini ad servum. Sed inquantum uterque est aliquid alterius, secundum hoc deficit ibi perfecta ratio iusti vel iuris.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod omnes aliae diversitates personarum quae sunt in civitate, habent immediatam relationem ad communitatem civitatis et ad principem ipsius. Et ideo ad eos est iustum secundum perfectam rationem iustitiae. Distinguitur tamen istud iustum secundum diversa officia. Unde et dicitur ius militare vel ius magistratuum aut sacerdotum, non propter defectum a simpliciter iusto, sicut dicitur ius paternum et dominativum, sed propter hoc quod unicuique conditioni personae secundum proprium officium aliquid proprium debetur.