The Ethical Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas

The Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas is the chief representative of Scholasticism. His intention was to bring intelligence to the field of religious life, utilizing the model of Aristotle and incorporating what could be achieved through reason alone, alongside divine revelation. His aim was to unite faith and reason, intellect and revelation. He distinguished between the object of philosophy, which is the created world, and the object of theology, which is the Creator.

Philosophy and Human Behavior

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that attempts to explain human behavior to discover how man can achieve his ultimate end: happiness. According to Aristotle, man reaches happiness by meeting specific objectives. While knowledge contributes to happiness and the practice of virtue leads to a moderate life, St. Thomas argues that true happiness is not found solely in the practice of virtue, but in knowledge and the ultimate encounter with God.

Natural Law and the Path to Salvation

Everything that happens is ordained by God. Therefore, man's choices should follow standards based on Natural Law, which is a reflection of the Eternal Law—a set of moral commandments that govern existence. Because human understanding is limited by the body, it possesses only partial knowledge, which can lead to mistakes. Choosing wrongly means turning away from God (sin), which introduces evil into the world. The purpose of life is to eliminate sin and recover the true state of happiness by returning to the Father.

The Practice of Virtues

To assist man in this transformation, St. Thomas emphasizes the practice of virtues. A virtue is a habit or a disposition to act correctly. These are categorized as follows:

1. Virtues of Human Nature

• Intellectual Virtues: Based on practical knowledge and the search for truth (influenced by Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle).
• Moral Virtues: These teach the path of moderation, including prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

2. Theological Virtues

These are freely given to man by God to facilitate the practice of other virtues. There are three:

• Faith
• Hope
• Charity

By supporting Natural Law with Eternal Law and recognizing the necessity of the Theological Virtues granted by God, St. Thomas Aquinas establishes an ethical framework where religion and faith are perfectly aligned with reason.