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

by DeYoung, Rebecca Konyndyk

• ISBN13: 9780268026011
• ISBN10: 0268026017
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780268084530
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-15
• Publisher: Univ of Notre Dame Pr
• More Book Details

Summary

Many studies of Aquinas naturally focus on certain areas of his thought and tend to assume a general knowledge of the whole. Aquinas's Ethics takes the opposite approach: it intentionally links his metaphysics and anthropology to his action theory and ethics to illuminate how the moral theory is built on foundations laid elsewhere. The authors emphasize the integration of concepts of virtue, natural law, and divine grace within Aquinas's ethics. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung is associate professor of philosophy at Calvin College. Colleen McCluskey is associate professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University. Christina Van Dyke is associate professor of philosophy at Calvin College.

Table of Contents

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