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Aquinas's Ethics

Aquinas' Ethics

There is much information to be gleaned regarding Thomas Aquinas' conception of ethics in the reading of Rebecca Konyndyk De Young's book entitled Aquinas's Ethics, which is a collage of his ethical observations and philosophy from several of his writings. One of the main ideas for regarding ethics that the reader learn about Aquinas is that he actually advocates a practical purpose for his ethics, which is more than just mere hypothetical thought. Instead, Aquinas believed that the true point of ethics was to directly influence human behavior and present a course of action that, to a certain degree, mandates just what sort of behavior is acceptable and what sort of behavior is not.

Additionally, it was interesting to see the similarities between Aquinas' thoughts on ethics and those of Aristotle, who played a key role in influencing the former's thought process regarding this topic. Both philosophers believed that all human beings essentially want to be happy and that the desire to seek this happiness greatly accounts for the day-to-day actions of each person. What is most interesting to note, however, is that Aquinas's philosophy and approach to this subject is largely Christian, while Aristotle's is decidedly pagan. Therefore, in many respects Aquinas merely provided an ecclesiastical version of concepts initially introduced by Aristotle and which could be regularly practiced and adhered to by Christians. Subsequently, it is central to the philosophy of both Aristotle and Aquinas that man is a rational, reasoning creature, and that the primary aim of man's existence -- or that of anything's existence -- is to perform the function that he or she was designed for. As such, reasoning and logic and using the human capacity to think, and to act accordingly, are central ideas in Aquinas's (as well as Aristotle's) philosophy.

One of the chief tenets in which the two differ, however, pertains to the conception of God and the divine presence inherent throughout humanity that is an intrinsic reflection of such a divinity. Aristotle, of course, acknowledges no such presence. Aquinas's philosophy is largely based on the acknowledgement of this presence as much as, if not more so than, it is on any singular conception of Aristotle's. Aquinas believed that just as much as one should follow his or her function by thinking and living a life that resulted in happiness by utilizing this thought process, one should also seek to ultimately act based upon the divine nature within one due to the presence of God. It is for this reason that Aquinas chooses to emphasize a healthy, positive union with God -- one that coincides with the rational, thought-provoking side of mankind.