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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.
It is due to this relationship with the divinity that Aquinas believes that the actual betterment of man's progress in his various pursuits -- pursuits which bring him happiness -- lies in his cultivation and furthering of...
That is the true purpose of moral education and of the fulfillment of activities that make people happy -- to bring them closer to God. In an almost cyclical fashion, then, the philosopher also notes that the seeking of a close, personal relationship with God will also inevitably bring happiness, as well as influence the degree of proficiency with which human beings can engage in whatever practices they choose to engage in. In this way, and in others, Aquinas actually synthesizes various aspects of Aristotle's philosophy to suit one with a more ecclesiastical slant. Still, it was fairly enlightening to understand that Aquinas based all of his philosophy upon the necessary occurrence of action -- specifically of actions designed to increase human happiness, fulfill mankind's purpose for existence, and to bring him closer to a union with God.
Ethics with Character: Virtues and the Ethical Social Worker -- Paul Adams Professor Paul Adams of the University of Hawaii's Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work in this peer-reviewed article explores those aspects of social work that "…are not primarily about identifying and resolving dilemmas" (Adams, 2009, p. 83). Adams delves into the "ethical tradition" -- and the potential therein -- that had its roots in "the virtues and character"
Ethics of War: Justified and Unjustified War When countries launch hostile military actions against other nations to the point where war occurs, the belligerents will inevitably have fundamentally opposing views concerning the legitimacy of the conflict and each opposing side will offer its poignant justification for its respective moral, legal and political positions regarding the conflict. In many cases, all belligerents in a war may have equally compelling just causes, and
Aquinas / Machiavelli Edit Comparing Aquinas and Machiavelli Aquinas and Machiavelli both had an important position in the study of historical development of Western political theory. They were Italian giants of medieval philosophy and politics. One of their common arguments is that nature is the basis of politics, including the nature of human beings and the nature of nations. Some may argue that in the totality of comparison that the work of
It is feasible, perhaps, that someone could hold the principle that he should always act rationally but also believe that this rationality should act towards maximizing their individual base pleasures. Clearly, this could be carried out at the expense of other rational beings. This would violate Kant's universal laws of morality because it would reject the elevated nature of humanity in general. At the same time, if this person
Letter to the Editor on Gun ControlDear Editor,I am writing to express my views on the current debate surrounding gun control. As someone who has devoted my life to the study of philosophy and theology, I believe that there are certain principles that must be taken into account in any discussion of this topic.First and foremost, we must consider the dignity of the human person. Every human being is created
The focus is on understanding the way moral choices are presented than judging the outcome of the decisions made. Ethics can be situational, and certainly the dilemmas or morality and choice have different answers depending on the particular time and place they occur (MacIntyre, 2006). Even prior to the formalization of the terms utilitarianism and deontology, the core ideas of each have been debated for centuries. The Ancient Greeks argued