Aquinas Intellect

Teleology, Intellect and the Role of God in Moral Evaluations With his views on moral evaluations serving later to become the basis for the Doctrine of Double Effect, Aquinas’s beliefs were heavily influenced by the philosophy of the Greek theorist Aristotle (though he did not agree with Aristatle’s concepts of natural teleology), of whom’s ideas he combined with the theology of the Christian Church. Aquinas views the Soul and and Body as one integrated entity yet that human beings are more than just physical bodies but also moral people created “in God’s image” with our intellectual ability. The intellect plays a large role in Aquinas’s moral ideology, often working in conjunction with the will. It is defined by Aquinas to have two primary
He believes that every action is good or bad. Actions can only be considered neutral when referring to it in a general kind of action rather than in a specific instances. Actions are classified into three kind of species when analyzing the nature of human acts: good, bad, and neutral. This classification the species depends on whether or not a particular type of action is, in of itself, naturally rational (without considering the context) - based on what promotes or contributes to the ultimate end - so that pursuing these courses of action develop our capacities and promote flourishing. For example, out of situational context, the act of killing is considered to be negative, saving one’s life is seen to be positive, and picking up an object, such as a baseball bat, is neutral. Aquinas further states that evaluation of action depends not only on the kind of action that is chosen but also on the end and the circumstances under which the action is performed. Taking the end and circumstances into consideration thus means that despite an action being naturally neutral, with respect to the species, once an action is performed, it is no longer be neutral but either morally right of wrong (neutrality does not exist in final analysis of the act). If an action is bad according to its species, we do not need to consider other factors because Aquinas believe that the end
This difference, of rational beings differing from irrational beings (such as other species of animals), depends on the possession of internal capacities of intellect and will that allows us to consciously use reason and logic. There are three conditions that makes one able to act voluntarily: one mush have an apprehension of an end, an understanding of what an end is, and an understanding of the relationship among ends and between the means and ends. Our intellect is what makes us free creatures and enables us to fulfill all three of the stated conditions. Other animals, such as sheep, can only fulfill the first condition of understanding - it is aware that it is doing actions though it cannot reason out why. The will’s role in our freedom is limited to bringing about the free decisions made voluntarily by the intellect; the will is free insofar as the intellect is