On the Notion of the Circumstances of a Moral Act According to St. Thomas Aquinas
Because of the particularity of every human act, Aristotle held that circumstances play a pivotal role in the moral judgment of those same human acts. Considered in conjunction with the object and intention however, circumstances are seen as secondary considerations by those familiar with the though...
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2018
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| In: |
Angelicum
Year: 2018, Volume: 95, Issue: 4, Pages: 421-447 |
| Summary: | Because of the particularity of every human act, Aristotle held that circumstances play a pivotal role in the moral judgment of those same human acts. Considered in conjunction with the object and intention however, circumstances are seen as secondary considerations by those familiar with the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. It is the varied development of the notion of circumstances from Aristotle and Cicero to Aquinas which we seek to investigate here. This article first presents those two common traditions by which medieval writers commonly thought about circumstances. Next an analysis of ST I-II qq. 7 and 18 shows how Aquinas would incorporate these two traditions as well as the recent teachings of the Church given at the Fourth Lateran Council to develop his own unique response to the question. Despite the limits imposed by human language, St. Thomas’s insights and distinctions in the role of circumstances would bring to the discussion a clarity typical of the Angelic Doctor. In fine, his presentation of circumstances advanced a sharper and richer understanding of both the ontological and moral nature of a human act. |
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| ISSN: | 1123-5772 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Angelicum
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