Divinazione e geomanzia in Tommaso d'Aquino: qualche osservazione sul De sortibus

The paper deals with the philosophical and theological implications of Aquinas’ short treatise De sortibus (Lots), by presenting and discussing its structure and themes: the place the lot has among things, what the end of lots is, their mode, their efficacy, and whether, in accordance with the teaching of the Christian faith, it is legitimate to use them. Attention is paid to the distinction between sors consultoria, sors divisoria and sors divinatoria, and to the role and status of geomancy. New elements for the correct dating of the work are also provided, together with the principal references to the parallel places in Aquinas’ production. The conclusive remarks concern (i) Aquinas’ unequivocal condemnation of the sors divinatoria, (ii) the relation between the De sortibus and the Ars geomantiae attributed to William of Moerbeke, and (iii) Aquinas’ doctrine of providential determinism as opposed to fatalism or astrological determinism.