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Epilogue In this book we have argued that Aquinas’s intentions are most accurately reflected by a study that integrates his view of human nature and its capacities , his action theory, and his view of the moral life. For Aquinas, there is no fundamental separation between metaphysics and ethics. Together they form a coherent system. His account of who we are meant to be and the actualization of our human capacities is fundamentally predicated on his theory of human nature. Aquinas’s integrated theory is also best understood as a theological project. Human beings are created by God, and God wants to draw them back to himself in love. Insofar as they are part of a divinely-authored creation, humans are directed toward a particular ultimate end, one unique to them as rational animals and one that involves an intimate relationship with their Creator. Bringing this theological and metaphysical context to bear on Aquinas’s ethical theory enables us to understand the substantial role of charity in virtuous character formation and the essential role of grace in perfecting human capacities, as our case studies of courage and sloth have illustrated. The New Law as well as the natural law, infused virtue as well as acquired virtue, and the enhancement by grace of human nature and its capacities of intellect and will are not optional additions to Aquinas’s moral project, but are rather its essential elements . Together they give us the holistic picture of human flourishing that he had in mind. 188 We believe that this rich, comprehensive understanding of Aquinas’s thought is worth having in its own right. But further, we think it has rich practical consequences as well. Aquinas’s thought helps us understand the flourishing life we are made for, given our nature, but also how and why things can go wrong. It gives us compelling answers to questions that we all ask—What does it mean to be a good human being, and how is that possible for us? How much of our own happiness is under our control ? What are the limits of human capacities and how can we best cultivate them? How can we live in a way that honors who we are and fulfills us as human beings? Our aim, therefore, has been to show that Aquinas’s account of human nature and its perfection, the rational capacities of intellect and will, and an ethics that integrates virtue with law and grace is worthy of our attention for both its theoretical and its practical fruitfulness. If this book has set out an engaging framework for the reader’s further investigation into Aquinas’s thought and the application of Aquinas’s ideas, then we will consider it a success. Epilogue 189 ...

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