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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.
Objection 2: Further, Basil in expounding the words of the rich
man (Lk. 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.
Objection 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 (Question 64, Article 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 (Gn. 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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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