To begin with, purpose has been regarded as the key to decision making, as an evolutionary adaptation, as a means of making sense out of chaos and as an individual’s ultimate goal. Purpose is the inner strength and the responsibility that a man has for his existence. Among our potentials are the ability to seek our own individual good and the ability to seek well of the society.
Many philosophers and theologians have tried to explain the ultimate purpose of life and the goals for an individual’s existence. This has led to many conclusions about the human body and soul and the end life of human beings. Aristotle and Aquinas have held that the good of society is paramount and that we should refer it to our individual good. About the self, …show more content…
The main aim of summa is to show why human beings exist, their destiny and how they can achieve it (Kreeft, 1990). He argues that human beings exist to know God and that their destiny is to enjoy God’s vision in the next life. This means they ought to act properly in this life in order to be worthy of their destiny. About human end, Aquinas argues that every thing has a nature that aims to achieve its specific perfection which is its end. Accordingly, human beings differ from other kinds of materials in that they have the power to understand and reason. Since the power of reason is the specific perfection of human beings, they attain their ultimate perfection and the state of happiness by reasoning activities and activities in accord to reason. He rejects any contention that human happiness consists of material goods, although some like a sound body and moderate wealth are necessary for life happiness. Aquinas believes that human happiness is a soul condition produced by activities of reason and other human activities in this life in accord with reason. In these points Aquinas is in basic agreement with Aristotle. However, when Aquinas specifies the object of human happiness, he decisively disagrees with Aristotle. Aquinas argues that the object of perfect happiness is the intellectual vision of God’s essence, albeit not a comprehensive vision. He has argued that human beings will …show more content…
On one hand, the fact that human beings have a desire from nature for the complete happiness of the beatific vision, this seem to suggest that God who created them with that desire ought to fulfill it if human beings act in accord with right reason and his will. On the contrary, to suppose that God could have not bestowed the beatific vision on those who follow the dictates of right reason, and his will seems to imply that God ought to have left unfulfilled the natural desire of human beings for complete happiness in his vision. The position of Aquinas regarding this is that, human beings can attain an incomplete and imperfect happiness in this life by their natural power to acquire intellectual and moral virtue. However, they cannot by their natural power acquire the complete and perfect happiness of the beatific vision. This can be assumed to mean that the beatific vision is a God’s gift which he freely designs to bestow on those who do his
Many philosophers and theologians have tried to explain the ultimate purpose of life and the goals for an individual’s existence. This has led to many conclusions about the human body and soul and the end life of human beings. Aristotle and Aquinas have held that the good of society is paramount and that we should refer it to our individual good. About the self, …show more content…
The main aim of summa is to show why human beings exist, their destiny and how they can achieve it (Kreeft, 1990). He argues that human beings exist to know God and that their destiny is to enjoy God’s vision in the next life. This means they ought to act properly in this life in order to be worthy of their destiny. About human end, Aquinas argues that every thing has a nature that aims to achieve its specific perfection which is its end. Accordingly, human beings differ from other kinds of materials in that they have the power to understand and reason. Since the power of reason is the specific perfection of human beings, they attain their ultimate perfection and the state of happiness by reasoning activities and activities in accord to reason. He rejects any contention that human happiness consists of material goods, although some like a sound body and moderate wealth are necessary for life happiness. Aquinas believes that human happiness is a soul condition produced by activities of reason and other human activities in this life in accord with reason. In these points Aquinas is in basic agreement with Aristotle. However, when Aquinas specifies the object of human happiness, he decisively disagrees with Aristotle. Aquinas argues that the object of perfect happiness is the intellectual vision of God’s essence, albeit not a comprehensive vision. He has argued that human beings will …show more content…
On one hand, the fact that human beings have a desire from nature for the complete happiness of the beatific vision, this seem to suggest that God who created them with that desire ought to fulfill it if human beings act in accord with right reason and his will. On the contrary, to suppose that God could have not bestowed the beatific vision on those who follow the dictates of right reason, and his will seems to imply that God ought to have left unfulfilled the natural desire of human beings for complete happiness in his vision. The position of Aquinas regarding this is that, human beings can attain an incomplete and imperfect happiness in this life by their natural power to acquire intellectual and moral virtue. However, they cannot by their natural power acquire the complete and perfect happiness of the beatific vision. This can be assumed to mean that the beatific vision is a God’s gift which he freely designs to bestow on those who do his