SUAREZ, FRANCISCO Spanish theologian and philosopher, was born at Granada on Jan. 5, 1548, and edu cated at Salamanca. Influenced by the Jesuit John Ramirez he entered the Society of JesuS in 1564, and after teaching philosophy at Segovia, taught theology at Valladolid, at Alcala, at Salamanca, and at Rome successively. After taking his doctorate at Evora, he was named by Philip II. principal professor of theology at Coim bra. Suarez may be considered almost the last eminent representa tive of scholasticism. In philosophical doctrine he adhered to a moderate Thomism. On the question of universals he endeavoured to steer a middle course between the pantheistically inclined realism of Duns Scotus and the extreme nominalism of William of Occam. In theology, Suarez attached himself to the doctrine of Luis Molina, the celebrated Jesuit professor of Evora, and endeavoured to reconcile his view with the more orthodox doc trines of the efficacy of grace and special election. This mediatiz ing system was known by the name of "congruism." Suarez is probably more important, however, as a philosophical jurist than as a theologian or metaphysician. In his extensive work Tractatus de legibus ac deo legislatore (reprinted, London, 1679) he is to some extent the precursor of Grotius and Samuel Pufendorf. Grotius speaks of him in terms of high respect. Suarez
refutes the divine right of kings—doctrines popular in England and to some extent on the Continent.
In 1613, at the instigation of Pope Paul V., Suarez wrote a treatise dedicated to the Christian princes of Europe, entitled Defensio catholicae fidei contra anglicanae sectae errores. This was directed against the oath of allegiance which James I. extracted from his subjects. James caused it to be burned by the common hangman, and forbade its perusal under the severest penalties, complaining bitterly at the same time to Philip III. that he should harbour in his dominions a declared enemy of the throne and majesty of kings. Suarez lived a very humble and simple life. He died after a few days' illness on Sept. 25, 1617 at Lisbon.
The collected works of Suarez have been printed at Mainz and Lyons (1630), at Venice (1740-51), at Besancon (1856-62) and in the collection of the Abbe Migne. His life has been written by Deschamps (Vita Fr. Suaresii, Perpignan, 1670. The chief modern authorities are K. Werner's Franz Suarez u. die Scholastik der letzten Jahrhun derte (Regensburg, 1860, and Stiickl's Geschichte der Philosophie des Mittelalters, iii. 643 seq.