Luctrtius and Thomas Aquinas

            
             Lucretius and Thomas Aquinas have very different theories on life, on why we are here, what happens when we die, what created our universe, and many other questions. Many people may interpret Lucretius" readings or teachings to be manipulative or dangerous to others. However, Thomas Aquinas" views may be thought to be false or make believe. This paper will examine the differences that these two philosophers have when it comes to some of the same topics.
             Lucretius states that nothing is ever created out of divine power. That something can never be created out of nothing. He does not believe that there is a God, or that anything was created by a higher power. He feels that the universe is purely external and has always been there. Lucretius also states that nature resolves everything into component atoms, and that something can never be reduced into nothing. Along with the idea that everything is made of atoms, Lucretius explains our senses through the same idea. Our sight comes from atoms of light bouncing from a source to our eyes, which are made of atoms as well. Our sense of touch is from the over all movement of the atoms through the air and to our bodies. Since Lucretius does not believe in a higher power, he does not believe in an eternal afterlife. He feels that people are greedy and feel that they need to gain all that they can before they die because of their fear of death. When it comes to love, Lucretius feels that it is a disaster that should be avoided. However, he feels that sex is good because it brings pleasure and happiness. He says that love arouses our emotions, which leads to pain in the long run. It is more important to avoid pain then to maximize pleasure, so rather than enjoying any pleasure in love we should avoid love and just have sex for pleasure. .
             Thomas Aquinas has very opposite views. Thomas Aquinas was a monk who devoted his life to philosophy, and was most influenced by Aristotle.