Question

Compare and contrast St. Thomas Aquinas’s view of the purpose of government with Fredrick Engels’s view of the purpose of government.

Answer 1

Answer:

St. Thomas Aquinas believed that the government was a positive force that worked for the interest of all in the society by promoting justice, while Friedrich Engels believed that the government whose role was to remove social classes and segregation was being influenced by the rich in the society to exploit the poor.

Explanation:

St. Thomas Aquinas had a very positive view of government. He explained that government promoted the course of justice in the society by working for the common good of all. He also maintained that individuals and government should not steal. To achieve justice, government could tax its citizens.  

Friedrich Engels on the other hand believed that the rich in the society were coercing the government to work in their favor, thus exploiting the poor. That was why he was an avid supporter of Karl Marx seeking a communist society.