Whether It Is Natural for Man to Possess External Things?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is not natural for man to possess
external things. For no man should ascribe to himself that which is
God's. Now the dominion over all creatures is proper to God,
according to Ps. 23:1, "The earth is the Lord's," etc. Therefore it
is not natural for man to possess external things.
Obj. 2: Further, Basil in expounding the words of the rich man (Luke
12:18), "I will gather all things that are grown to me, and my
goods," says [*Hom. in Luc. xii, 18]: "Tell me: which are thine?
where did you take them from and bring them into being?" Now whatever
man possesses naturally, he can fittingly call his own. Therefore man
does not naturally possess external things.
Obj. 3: Further, according to Ambrose (De Trin. i [*De Fide, ad
Gratianum, i, 1]) "dominion denotes power." But man has no power over
external things, since he can work no change in their nature.
Therefore the possession of external things is not natural to man.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 8:8): "Thou hast subjected all
things under his feet."
_I answer that,_ External things can be considered in two ways.
First, as regards their nature, and this is not subject to the power
of man, but only to the power of God Whose mere will all things obey.
Secondly, as regards their use, and in this way, man has a natural
dominion over external things, because, by his reason and will, he is
able to use them for his own profit, as they were made on his
account: for the imperfect is always for the sake of the perfect, as
stated above (Q. 64, A. 1). It is by this argument that the
Philosopher proves (Polit. i, 3) that the possession of external
things is natural to man. Moreover, this natural dominion of man over
other creatures, which is competent to man in respect of his reason
wherein God's image resides, is shown forth in man's creation (Gen.
1:26) by the words: "Let us make man to our image and likeness: and
let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea," etc.
Reply Obj. 1: God has sovereign dominion over all things: and
He, according to His providence, directed certain things to the
sustenance of man's body. For this reason man has a natural dominion
over things, as regards the power to make use of them.
Reply Obj. 2: The rich man is reproved for deeming external
things to belong to him principally, as though he had not received
them from another, namely from God.
Reply Obj. 3: This argument considers the dominion over
external things as regards their nature. Such a dominion belongs to
God alone, as stated above.
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