https://x.com/imperatoraus/status/1994513402656690232?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw
In his Summa Theologiae, St Thomas Aquinas laid out one of the most charitable yet practical arguments concerning immigration that effectively shaped the West for almost 1,000 years. 1. Immigration must always be proportionate so that foreigners can properly assimilate into the culture and mode of worship of the state. 2. Citizenship – and associated rights – should only ever be granted after the third generation to preserve the culture, mode of worship, and constitution of the state. 3. The common good of the citizens must remain the highest priority of the state, meaning, the state's obligation to provide aid to its neighbours can never be at the expense of the citizens. However, Aquinas ends with the sobering reminder that some peoples and states are incompatible with one another, and these must be held as "foes in perpetuity". Check out my article with
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2 comments:
I heard someone else, recently, mention this about Aquinas and there was some push back on the three generation part. I get why he recommended that. It was to ensure that the ways of the old home...which might not be compatible with the new...would dissipate and leave only one who knows nothing but the ways of the new, thus making that third generation a fully assimilated citizen. It really makes a ton of sense, but few would go for it. However, it doesn't mean the 1st and 2nd generation couldn't be otherwise full participants (short of voting or holding public office), but simply not yet full citizens. AND, in striving to impress on the 2nd and 3rd what it means to be a citizen, it also compels the 1st and 2nd to follow our laws more stridently in order to prevent deportation. Given how many have come here and "lived in the shadows" for decades, I really don't see a problem with it.
The generational thing actually makes a bunch of sense to me to encourage assimilation. Anything that encourages increased participation in the society they immigrate into is a good practice. As opposed to the current situation where they simply transplant their society to other country and expect that country to accommodate their culture no matter how poorly they mesh.
Obviously taking immigration fraud and illegal immigration into account changes things as well. Aquinas was clearly talking about legal immigration and basing his formulation on that. Adding illegal immigration only makes things worse.
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