ISSUES IN ST THOMAS, IF WE HAVE NATURAL VIRTUES
INTRODUCTION
Thomas Aquinas in his disputed question on virtues
discussed extensively about virtues, which he took gradually, proceeding from
topics that will lead to a better understanding of another topic. In all the
questions, he followed same procedure in addressing and attending to the
questions. First he presents what others have said concerning the topic, after
which he give some contraries to the view of others, then his response and
finally address the views others have presented.
In this paper, we shall be looking into article 8.a
which is “ if we have natural virtues”. This we shall do by analyzing Thomas
work regarding question this question, with special attention to the views
others have presented, the contraries, Thomas response and how he addressed the
different views of others presented, before we give a final conclusion.
Analysis Of Thomas Work Regarding
The Question
Thomas in addressing this question presented 20
views or claims others had given which support the claim that there are natural
virtues. This 20 views has four basic source or foundation, this include, the
scripture, 4 church authorities which include: John Damascene, Anthony, Cicero,
and Augustine, Aristotle and finally some unknown or unmentioned source.
Biblical citations
In reference to the
scripture, the following passages were cited:
·
Matthew 4:23 which
teaches natural justice; namely, chastity, justice, humility etc. virtues a man
has naturally
·
Romans 2:14 which said
that men who have not the law, naturally do what is of the law, and the law
commands the act of virtue
·
Wisdom 2:10 which made
mention of natural malice
·
Ephesians 2:3 that said,
“and were by nature children of wrath”
·
Job 31:18 for from my
infancy mercy grew up with me and it came out with me from my mother’s womb.
·
Hebrew 1, God willed to
sow in every soul the beginning of wisdom and understanding.
Church Authorities
In reference to the
church authorities, the following people were quoted; Damascene, Anthony, Cicero and Augustine.
·
John Damascene was cited
2 times, first where he stated that virtues are natural and are natural in us,
and secondly where he said in his book 3, chapter 14 that remaining in that
which is according to nature, we are in virtue and falling away from that which
is in nature, we are in evil.[1]
·
Anthony: natural
adornment suffices for man, and this will not be if virtues are not natural.[2]
·
Cicero: the elevation of
the soul is ours naturally, and for same reason, other virtues are in us
naturally. Secondly, he was cited where he said that virtue is a habit after
the manner of nature, in agreement with reason.[3]
·
Augustine on free will,
to will the good is natural to man. To be capable of good is in man naturally,
since the will has dominion over his acts.[4]
Aristotle
With reference to Aristotle,
there are quotations from three of his works, this include; on the soul, ethics
2 and ethics 6.
·
On the Soul 3, the appetite of the higher
part, which is reason, moves the lower, which is of the sensitive part, as the
higher sphere moves the lower. But moral virtue consists in this, that the
lower powers are subject to reason. Therefore, such virtues are natural.[5]
·
Ethics 6, where he mentioned that some
seem from birth to be courageous and temperate and disposed to other virtues.[7]
Other
sources
With
reference to other unmentioned source.
About 7 arguments were presented in support of the
claim that there are natural virtues, but we shall only be considering one
·
Nature does not fail in what is necessary, but
virtues are necessary for a man given the end to which he is ordered, namely,
happiness, which is the act of perfect virtue.[8]
On the
contrary
In Contrary to the first 20 claims in support of
the view that there are natural virtues, Aquinas presented 4 arguments that
contradicts them all. This include
·
According to Dionysius, nature survives even in the
devil; virtues are taken away by sin, so they are not natural. [9]
·
What is natural is neither acquired nor lost, which
is not the same case with virtue. nature pertains to all of the same species,
but virtue is not common to all[10]
·
Natural is neither gained nor lost, whereas, it is
not the same case with virtue.[11]
Aqunas Response
In his response, he likened the acquisition of
virtue to the production of natural forms and posited the three major views
people have concerning the production of natural forms. First, nature
pre-exists in matter, and then are brought from a hidden to a manifest state by
natural agent. Secondly that forms are totally from without, whether by
participation in ideas or from the agent intellect, and that natural agents
only dispose matter for form. And thirdly, the
view of Aristotle, that forms pre-exist potentially in matter and are
brought to act by an external natural agent.[12]
He equally looked into the views philosophers have
concerning science and virtue in man. There are basically three view. First,
that science and virtue is in us by nature, and mans effort only removes the
impediment to the science and virtue in us. Secondly, the view of Plato which
is similar to the first. Plato is of the view that science and virtues are
caused in us by participation in separated forms, because the soul is impeded
from using them because of its union with the body, and that this impediment
can be remove by the pursuit of the sciences and the exercise of the virtues.
And thirdly that sciences and virtues are in us as an aptitude from nature, but
their perfection is not in us from nature.
Thomas held the third view, he pointed out that the aptitude for
perfection can be in a subject in two ways. First, according to passive potency
alone, as in the matter of air which has an aptitude for the form of fire, and
secondly, according to both active and passive potency as in a curable body
which has aptitude for health because of its susceptibility of health. Thomas
stated that there are three ways in which man can be subject of virtue, namely;
intellect, will and lower appetite. [13]
He mentioned and I quote:
it is
obvious that in the intellective part there is the possible intellect, which is
in potency to all intelligible, in the knowledge of which intellectual virtue
consists, and the agent intellect, in whose light things come to be actually
intelligible, some of which a man naturally knows from the outset without study
and inquiry, first principles, that is, not only speculative, such as every
whole is greater than its part and the like, but also in the practical order,
such as evil is to be avoided and the like. These naturally known things are
the principles of all subsequent speculative or practical knowledge which is
acquired by study.[14]
Aquinas noted that the will has in itself, a
natural active principle, and the inclination of will is an active natural
principle with respect to every disposition acquired by the affective part
through exercise. He further added that the will itself, insofar as it is a
power related to many, is susceptible of an habitual inclination to one thing
or the other with regard to the means to the end. He further added that, the
concupiscible and irascible naturally heed reason and have a natural
receptivity to virtue, which is brought to perfection in them insofar as they
are disposed to follow the good of reason.[15]
Talking on the nature of virtue in man, he said
that the beginnings of virtue is in the nature of human species, but there is
another beginning of virtue which follows on individual nature which is brought
about by natural makeup or celestial influence. This inclination is a kind of
beginning of virtue Thomas held that it is not a perfected virtue, because for
virtue to be perfected, the governance of reason is needed, that is why In
commanding the irascible and concupiscible, reason causes them to be subject to
itself. So it is clear that for the consummation of virtue the work of reason
is required, whether the virtue be in intellect or will or in the irascible or
concupiscible. In conclusion, he stated that it is obvious that the perfection
of virtue is from reason, not nature.[16]
Addressing
other claims
Thomas addressed other claims that virtues are
natural after giving his response by saying that, virtues are called natural
because of the natural beginnings of virtue of virtue in man, not because of
their perfection. Man has in him by nature the ability to be good, but that
does not suffice for virtue, for a good to be virtue, it needs to be continuous
and infallible. For one to turn away from evil is natural but doing it continuosly
without failing becomes virtue. [17]
Conclusion
Thomas is one of the great doctors of the church,
whom the church so much revere and look upto in matters of faith. His work on
virtue has been able to lead us through the popular claims and opinions of people
regarding if there are natural virtues, and from the work so far, it is obvious
and we can agree with Thomas Aquinas that is from nature according to an
imperfect way of being, namely; potency and aptitude.
REFERANCE
Aquinas, Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De Virtutibus,
Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press, 1999.
[1]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De Virtutibus,
Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press, 1999. Page 45
[2]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 45
[3]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 45
[4]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 45
[5]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 47
[6]C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 47
[7]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 47
[8]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 46
[9]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 47
[10]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 48
[11]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 48
[12]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 48
[13]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 49
[14]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press, 1999.
Page 48
[15]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 49
[16]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 49
[17]
C.F.Aquinas,
Thomas.QuaestionesDisputatae De
Virtutibus, Transl. by Ralph McInerny. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press,
1999. Page 50
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