The Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas : Happiness, Natural Law, and the Virtues

The far reaching changes in man's social and personal life taking place in our lifetime underline the need for a sound ethical evaluation of our rights and duties and of human behaviour both on the individual level and in the political society. On many issues judgments of value vary widely and a consultation of the thought of Thomas Aquinas on the basic questions will be helpful, the more since he is not only one of the greatest philosophers but also succeeded in integrating in his moral philosophy the wisdom of the ancients, in particular of Aristotle and the Stoa. This book presents Aquinas's thought on such central questions as man's happiness, how to determine the morality of our actions, the natural law and the main virtues, as well as on the common good, war, human labour, love and friendship. Throughout the book the intellectual character of this moral philosophy is pointed out and problems are set in a historical perspective. 'Elders brings to his study an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the history of philosophy. Although he advises his readers not to look for any novel interpretations of Thomas, the book is full of surprises. Time and again, he offers a concise history of the moral issue under consideration...A more authoritative introduction to the moral philosophy of Aquinas is not likely to be found. In fact, it is a delight to read.'- Philosophy in Review 01.pdf 1 02.pdf 2 03.pdf 8 04.pdf 12 05.pdf 14 06.pdf 36 07.pdf 48 08.pdf 70 09.pdf 94 10.pdf 104 11.pdf 136 12.pdf 146 13.pdf 172 14.pdf 198 15.pdf 230 16.pdf 240 17.pdf 272 18.pdf 280 19.pdf 298 20.pdf 308 21.pdf 310 22.pdf 314 Leo J. Elders. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Electronic Reproduction. Baltimore, Md Available Via World Wide Web.