Research on theories of justice in the Western Middle Ages

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01010:Philosophy and ethics-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Fujimoto Tsumoru 名古屋工業大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (80332097)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 正義 / 法 / 自然法 / 自由学芸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The differences between Azo's and Aquinas' interpretations concerning Ulpian's stipulation that justice is "the perpetual and constant will to render to each one right," have been examined to clarify the characteristics of the philosophical analysis by Aquinas. The medieval jurists' interpretation of Ulpian's definition of justice applies to God as well as man, while Aquinas' interpretation does not, or at least not explicitly. In contrast to the medieval jurists' theories of justice, Aquinas stands out for posing the unique question "Is ius the object justice?".
This study also addressed the theory of natural law, which is closely related to justice, and characterized the interpretations by Aquinas and Albert the Great regarding Ulpian's definition that "natural law is what nature has taught all animals." The meaning of "justice" in relation to the liberal arts, which began to be studied in universities in the Western Middle Ages, was also clarified.

Free Research Field

西洋哲学史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「正義」という言葉は、現代社会においては多義的に使用されることが多く、曖昧な概念となっている。法学者の考える「正義」と哲学者や倫理学者が用いる「正義」という概念の間にずれが生じていることもある。本研究は、「正義」理解の多様性の原因の一つを西洋12-13世紀における大学成立の時期に遡って考察し、神学部と法学部という両学部での「正義」とその関連語の扱い方と傾向を概念分析的に検討して、その歴史的な位置づけを試みた。リベラルアーツが大学において学ばれ始めたのは西洋中世からであり、今日でもその重要性が指摘されるリベラルアーツとの関わりでも「正義」の位置づけを明らかにした。