Aquinas's Ethics: Metaphysical Foundations, Moral Theory, and Theological Context

Contents

contents Acknowledgments xi List of Abbreviations xv Introduction 1 Aquinas’s Connection to Aristotle 3 Happiness as the End of Human Nature and Human Actions 7 part one HUMAN NATURE One The Metaphysics of Human Nature 13 The Hierarchy of Being 14 Two Ends of the Spectrum: Pure Actuality and Pure Potentiality 18 Material Substances, Intellects, and Human Beings 20 Being and Goodness: God, Creatures, and Function 24 Two Soul and Body 27 Soul 28 Bodies, Matter, and Human Beings 35 Souls in Separation from Matter 40 Human Persons 43 Three Human Capacities and the Image of God 46 Essence and Capacity 49 The Soul’s Capacities in General 50 Specific Capacities of the Rational Soul 52 Intellect and Will 57 Being and Goodness Revisited 63 part two HUMAN ACTIONS Four Actions and Ends 69 The Source of Human Action 70 The Ultimate End of Action 73 The Process of Action: Intellect and Will 78 The Process of Action: Passion 85 Five The Moral Appraisal of Actions 90 Good and Bad Actions in General 90 A Closer Look at Bad Actions 96 Sins of Ignorance 98 Sins of Passion 102 Sins of the Will 104 Six Habits and Freedom 110 Habit Formation 110 Freedom of Action 115 Aquinas in the Current Debate 123 The Road Ahead 124 viii Contents part three HUMAN FLOURISHING Seven The Virtues 129 What Is a Virtue? 131 Kinds of Virtues 137 A Closer Look at the Theological Virtues 147 Eight Law and Grace 152 Law 152 Defending an Integrationist Reading of Aquinas’s Ethics 159 Grace 165 Virtue, Law, and Grace as Interior and Exterior Guides to Action 169 Nine Theologically Transformed Virtue and Vice 173 The Vice of Sloth 175 The Virtue of Courage 181 Epilogue 188 Notes 190 Index 237 Contents ix ...