The Expression “liber est causa sui” as an Element of a Theory of Subjectivity in Thomas Aquinas

Introduction:

This article analyzes the syntagma causa sui to seek an understanding of human liberty in the thought of Aquinas, in light of recent research.

The thomistic causa sui finds its inspiration from Aristotle and denotes the final causality of the agent. Some sustain that in Thomas, it acquires new connotations, that is, it implies the efficient causality of the subject. The author reviews the use of syntagma in the main thomistic authors so as to individuate the sense in which it is used in these contexts and later confirm whether it can be used as a valid element for a thomistic theory of subjectivity.