Saint Thomas Aquinas: Ethics, Natural Law, and Metaphysics

The Ethics of Saint Thomas Aquinas

The ethics of Saint Thomas Aquinas has a teleological and eudaimonistic vision, asserting that the greatest happiness is the ultimate end of life. Aquinas states that maximum happiness is achieved through the contemplation of God; thus, life is directed towards this contemplation. It is a unifying vision that seeks union with God.

Natural Law and Moral Principles

Just as all life has a purpose, human beings also have one. This purpose allows for the inference of moral principles, using reason and principles given by natural understanding. These principles constitute Natural Law, which Aquinas describes as clear, universal, compulsory, and immutable.

Natural Law contains two fundamental principles:

• To do good and avoid evil.
• All subsequent precepts directly align with what reason perceives as good by nature.

In turn, Aquinas identifies three inclinations or precepts within Natural Law:

• Substantial: These are the basic principles inherent to all beings (e.g., self-preservation).
• Animal: Pertaining to the right to procreate and care for offspring.
• Human: The pursuit of truth and justice, ultimately through God.

Society, State, and Divine Order

By nature, man tends to live in society, recognizing that the state is beneficial for him. In this assertion, Aquinas separates himself from Saint Augustine, who argued that society and the state were the result of sin and evil. Aquinas affirms that the state helps make us good.

Furthermore, because man is sociable by nature and has been created by God, government and rulers have also been created by God. Therefore, Aquinas provides a middle ground where the best ruler seeks the common good, asserting that there is only one order, which is the vision of God.

Relationship Between Church and State

Saint Thomas Aquinas establishes a relationship between the Church and the State, symbolizing the interplay of faith and reason. He posits that the spiritual (Church) is above the terrestrial (State).

Hylemorphism and the Nature of the Soul

Aquinas advocates for hylemorphism, according to which, once a human being dies, death breaks the unity of body and soul. He asserts that the soul is immortal and does not reunite with the body until the resurrection.

Aquinas agrees with Plato regarding the immortality of the soul, but his understanding of the soul is more aligned with Aristotle. For Aquinas, the soul is:

• An immaterial substance (independent of the body).
• Immortal.
• Created by God.
• Endowed with intellect and will.

God, Creation, and Knowledge

Since all beings have been created by God, they are regulated by God. This implies a fundamental distinction between God and creatures, and a distinction between essence and existence. This establishes a hierarchy of perfection that depends on closeness to God, who is the ultimate model.

Regarding knowledge, Saint Thomas Aquinas asserts that knowledge is sensitive and has an empiricist orientation.