Nussbaum

Martha Nussbaum and Thomas Aquinas on the Emotions
Carlo Leget
Theological Studies, Vol. 64, 2003

Questia

All this works out in a second, related point: the killing of human beings. Aquinas's reflection on the legitimacy of killing human beings has an internal coherence which is constituted by a theocentric logic. (62) But in reflecting on the legitimacy of killing, he loses sight of the corporeal reality which is at stake. (63) Of course, abstracting from the concrete situation is important from the viewpoint of justice, most of the "legitimate" instances of killing can be justified as a defense of innocent human beings, and morally good actions (such as martyrdom) are sometimes completely at odds with what we like to see or do. Nussbaum, in contrast to Aquinas, consistently adopts the perspective of the vulnerable corporeal human being. From this perspective Aquinas's point of view has sometimes a one-sidedness that should warn us from translating his conclusions to contemporary culture. When Aquinas discusses e.g. the questions as to whether it is allowed to kill sinners, he compares the killing with cutting of a rotten limp or killing an animal. (64) Although I hesitate to judge medieval times--considering the complexity of the history of mentality and understanding the emotions of different cultures--in contemporary society there are better and more humane ways of dealing with those who are a threat to the community. (65)

(63) See Krzysztof Kieslowski's A Short Film about Killing (part 5 of Dekalog: The Ten Commandments).