Aquinas Reporting

8/8/2019 Aquinas Reporting

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BIOETHICSREPORTING


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Born: 1225

Birthplace:Roccasecca, Naples,Italy

Died: March 7,1274

Bibliography


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St. Thomas Aquinas

Saint Thomas Aquinas was a Catholic Priest inthe Dominican Order

One of the most important Medievalphilosophers and theologians.

He wrote many works of philosophy andtheology throughout his life, his most influentialand greatest work is the Summa Theologica, thefullest presentation of his views which consists

of three parts. He worked on it from the time of Clement IV

(after 1265) until the end of his life.


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SummaTheologica


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Summa Theologica

1. The Summa Part I: God

2. The Summa Part II: Ethics

3. The Summa Part III: Christ


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The

Summa

Part I:God


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The Summa Part I: God

Part I treats of God, who is the first cause,

himself uncaused (primum movens

immobile) and as such existent only in act(actu), that is pure actuality without

potentiality and, therefore, without

corporeality. His essence is actus purus et

perfectus.


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This follows from the fivefold proof

for the existence o

fGod:

1st Way:Argument from Motion there must be a first

mover himself unmoved.

2nd Way:Argument from Efficient Causes there

must be a first cause in the chain of causes,

3rd Way:Argument from Possibility and Necessity

there must be an absolutely necessary being,

4th Way:Argument from Gradation of Beingtheremust be an absolutely perfect being,

5th Way:Argument from Design there must be a

rational designer.


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The

Summa

Part II:Ethics


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The Summa Part II: Ethics

It consists oftwo parts:

1. Prima Secundae - the general principles

of morality, including a theory of law,which is the NATURAL LAW.

2. Secunda Secundae - morality in

particular, including individual virtues andvices.


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It talks about the

generalprinciples of

morality,

including laws.

Prima

Secundae


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Passion

Concupiscible passions:

love, hate, desire, aversion, joy, sorrow

Irascible passions:

hope, despair, confidence, fear, anger


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Law

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, Law is

an ordinance of reason for the common

good, decreed by the authorities in charge

of the community.

Lawis a dictate of reason commanding

something.


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First precept of law:

Good is to be doneto be done

and promotedand promotedand

evil is to be avoided.to be avoided.

All other precepts of the natural lawAll other precepts of the natural law

are based on thisare based on this


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Aquinas distinguished four kinds of law:

eternal, natural, human, and divine.

Eternal law is the decree of God that

governs all creation. Natural law is the

human "participation" in the eternal law

and is discovered by reason.


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Classical Natural Law Theory

Four types of law for Aquinas:

Eternal Law: (laws of the universe) the whole

community of the universe is governed by divinereason

Divine Law: (the revealed word of God) we needto be guided to our supernatural destiny, ourreason being inadequate to reveal it to us

Human Law: created by us for the purpose ofcarrying out natural law

Natural Law: eternal law as it applies to us,which we know by reason


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Divine law is

the specially

revealed law inthe scriptures.

Human law is

positive law:

the natural lawapplied by

governments to

societies.


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It merely talks

about morality

and thedifferent virtues

and vices of anindividual.

Secunda

Secundae


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In his ethical discussions

Aquinas distinguishes

theological from naturalvirtues and vices..


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St. Thomas defines virtue as "a good habitbearing on activity

Virtue, which is an operative habit, is agood habit productive of good works.

Not every habit is a virtue, but only onethat so improves and perfects a rational

faculty as to incline it towards good -- goodfor the faculty, for the will and for thewhole man in terms of his ultimate destiny.

VIRTUE


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Theological Virtues

There are, however, three theological virtues:

Faith - steadfastness in belief.

Hope - expectation of and desire of receiving;

refraining from despair and capability of notgiving up.

Charity - selfless, unconditional, and voluntary

loving-kindness such as helping one's

neighbors.

These are supernatural and are distinct from other

virtues in their object, namely, God:


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VICES An evil, degrading, or immoral practice or habit.

A habit inclining one to sin, and the sin itself, which isan individual morally wrong act.

Thomas Aquinas taught that "absolutely speaking, thesin surpasses the vice in wickedness".

On the other hand, even after a person's sins havebeen forgiven, the underlying habit (the vice) mayremain. Just as vice was created in the first place by

repeatedly yielding to the temptation to sin, so vicemay be removed only byrepeatedly resistingtemptation and performing virtuous acts;

The more entrenched the vice, the moretime and effort needed to remove it.


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The vice ofgluttony is the firmly held belief that foodand drink are good.

The vice of lust is the firmly held belief that sexualpleasure is good.

The vice ofgreed is the firmly held belief that moneyand possessions are good.

The vice ofangeris the firmly held belief that injustice

committed against us or others is bad, joined with thefirmly held belief that punishment of such an injustice isgood.

The vice ofenvy is the firmly held belief that theexcellence or superiority of another is bad.

The vice of

sloth is the firmly held belief that activity andeffort are bad.

The vice ofvainglory is the firmly held belief that ashow, or image, of excellence is good.

The vice ofpride is the firmly held belief thatexcellences, not in our power, are good.


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Sins Aquinas defines sin as "a word, deed,

or desire, contrary to the eternal

law. In other words, anything that

disobeys God's will is said to be a sin,

and is synonymous with "evil"

He greatly influenced Catholicunderstandings of mortal and venial

sins.


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Mortal Sins

Mortal Sins - Mortal sin is a grievous

offense against the law of God. It deprives

the sinner of sanctifying grace. Mortal sin

occurs as soon as God is no longer our

final end in our thoughts, words, and

actions.

Example: killing the innocent, adultery,


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Venial Sins

Venial Sins - Venial sin is a less serious

offense against the law of God, which

does not deprive the soul of sanctifying

grace, and which can be pardoned even

without sacramental confession.

Example: impatience, slight faultfinding,

lies that harm nobody.


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The

SummaPart III:

Christ


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The Summa Part III: Christ

In this third part Aquinas discusses the person,

office and work of Jesus Christ, and had begun

to discuss the sacraments, when death put an

end to his labors. The third part of the Summa is also divided into

two parts, but by accident rather than by design.

Aquinas died before he had finished his great

work, and what has been added to complete thescheme is appended as a Supplementum

Tertiae Partis.


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END!Thank you!

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