Thomas aquinas on knowledge of other minds

This paper investigates how Thomas Aquinas, who is regarded to be the top representative/proponent of the mediavel Christian thought, understands and solves the problem of ‘knowledge of other minds’, which is accepted to be an important problem of contemporary philosopy of mind. Accordingly, Thomas, who is an Aristotelian realist at the same time, thinks that our knowledge of other minds is acquired by way of an analogical inference based on our sensory knowledge. Thomas, who includes God and angelic intellects in addition to the human intellects into the category of other minds – which is a concept different from the modern one-, points out that we can obtain some knowledge of these additonal intellects by way of revelation and grace.

Thomas Aquinas ,

Other minds ,

Knowledge ,

Mind ,

Philosophy of mind ,

Analogy ,