Analysis Of St. Thomas: In The Treaties Of Happiness

In The Treaties of Happiness St.Thomas states that a “man’s happiness consists in God alone.” Happiness being an ultimate end cannot be created.To understand the statement above, it needs to be clear “in what man’s happiness [does not] consists” in and compare it to article 8. Furthermore, the phrase needs to be broken down and see how the objections help St.Thomas' argument. St.Thomas questions and evaluates many types of happiness and where a man thinks he might find it. St.Thomas makes it clear that happiness cannot be found it worldly materials like “ wealth… honor… glory… power” due to it not satisfying a man's desires completely. When it comes to the "body" it cannot correlate with the ultimate end because "one [part of the body] order[s] …show more content…
In one of St.Thomas articles, it asked about honor being man's happiness. In an objection, it said that philosophers say happiness is the reward of virtue, but "honor most of all seems to be the reward for virtue," that honor is rewarded more highly, man's happiness consists in honor. If the only reason a man acts virtuously is to earn the honor, then that act is not virtuous.A virtuous act should be done for the soul and not the body. In consequence, the man receives no honor and no happiness. Nevertheless, if a man performs a virtuous act humbly he not only receives honor but a momentary happiness. A different objection asks if happiness can consist in power. This objection states "happiness consists in power" because a man tries "to be conformed [into a] God as [their] ultimate end and first principle" and a man with power is the closest in resemblance to God. A person with power can always want more power, like a dictator for example. Furthermore, since power has a bad connotation in it, a man with power will always desire more power. Whereas, a man with power cannot be related to God because God is pure goodness that contains no wrong …show more content…
A man who does believe it, as defined earlier, means that man must seek out who God is. He will have to live a virtuous life and always do right because "God [is] goodness" and for a man to get even partially close to God he would have to have pure goodness. What does this mean for people who do not believe in God and are Atheists? Or those men who believe in God but have constant slip-ups. Will they have to change there life beliefs for it, or is there another way. Some people believe God is merciful, does this mean that a man who slips up has another chance to earn their