Thomas of Aquino was born at Roccasecca near Naples and sent as a child to the abbey of Monte Cassino. At 14 he became a student at the newly-founded University of Naples and then, after joining the Dominicans in 1244, at their college in Paris, where he was taught by Albert the Great. He became Master of Theology in 1256 and taught at the University of Paris for three years, then in various Italian cities from 1259–1268, returning to Paris in 1268 and teaching there again until 1272. In 1272 he was given the job of organising the Dominican college at the University of Naples and died two years later on his way to the Council of Lyons. He wrote commentaries on most of Aristotle's philosophical works, on Peter Lombard's Books of ‘Judgements’, some biblical commentaries, two theological text-books and other commentaries and treatises. He also wrote up many of his seminar courses, among which is the one on conscience translated here.

DEBATED QUESTIONS ON TRUTH 16–17

(Latin text in S. Thomae Aquinatis, Opera omnia, vol. 22. Quaestiones disputatae de veritate. Rome: ad Sancta Sabinae, 1972, pp. 501–528.) Most of the objections and replies and the whole of 17.5 have been omitted here.