Aquinas on the Virtue of Charity - Report Example

Aquinas on the Virtue of Charity Prepared by Department of Theology School Table of Content Table of Content……………………………………………………………………. 2 2. Prefatory Note………………………………………………………………………. 3 3. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 4 4. Analysis of Aristotle’s ideas used by Aquinas………………………….. 4-6 5. Analysis of the Scripture Passes quoted by Aquinas…………………. 6-8 6. Explanation of Aquinas’ Conception of Charity………………………….8-10 7. Answering The Question……………………………………………………………10-11 Prefatory Note This paper Analysis two main sources of information that St. Thomas Aquinas uses in his explanation of the nature of charity. The two main sources of information are the Aristotle’s ideas on friendship found in Aristotle’s ethics, The Nicomachean Ethics, book V111, and the Scriptures. The paper also looks deeply at St. Thomas Aquinas’ conception of charity, and lastly the paper answers the question on the importance of supernatural charity in moral life. This question is answered in light of St. Thomas Aquinas’ understanding of charity. Aquinas on the Virtue of Charity This paper analyzes Thomas Aquinas’ sources for his explanation of the theological virtue of charity, as it appears in his philosophical masterpiece Summa Contra Gentiles. The two sources of information analyzed in this paper are Aristotle’s Ethics and the scriptures; Aquinas borrows heavily from these two sources in his explanation of charity. In light of the analysis of the Aquinas’s sources of information, this paper answers the following question: For what principle reason or reasons is the moral life, animated by supernatural charity, a life enlivened by the Holy Spirit? In his explanation of the theological virtue of charity, Aquinas built his argument mainly from Aristotle’s understanding of friendship in the Nicomachean Ethics book VIII and quotations from the Scriptures. Let us begin with the analysis of the Aristotle’s work that the angelic doctor quoted in his explanation of charity. The following are the ideas of Aristotle that Aquinas quoted in his argument on the nature of charity. The first idea of Aristotle that Aquinas quoted is the Aristotle’s idea that nothing is as appropriate to friendship as dwelling together. In the Nichomachean Ethics book VIII chapter 5, Aristotle says the following on living together as one of the main characteristics of friendship,” For there is nothing so characteristic of friends as living together”1. In this quotation, Aristotle made it crystal clear that living together is one of the defining qualities of friendship. In his argument on the nature of charity, Aquinas had to explain how charity is a kind of friendship between God and man, and yet God as a spiritual being does not dwell with a man, who has a physical body. The second idea of Aristotle that Aquinas used in his explanation of the nature of charity is the Aristotle’s idea that friendship requires return of love. Aristotle explains this idea clearly in chapter eight of his ethics, the Nicomachean Ethics, “But for those who thus good we ascribe only goodwill, if the wish is not reciprocated; goodwill when it is reciprocated being friendship.”2 For Aristotle therefore, there must be a reciprocation of goodwill or love between the loving parties for the friendship to exist and flourish. Aquinas therefore had to show how friendship can exist without a reciprocation of love. This is because the concept of charity as understood by Christians encompasses love of one’s enemies. The fourth Idea of Aristotle that Aquinas in his argument on the nature of charity is the Aristotle’s categorization of three kinds of friendship, i.e. love based on pleasure, usefulness, or virtue. In chapter 3 of book three, Aristotle argues that the three kinds of friendship correspond to the three lovable things, “There are therefore three kinds of friendship, equal in number to the things that are lovable…”3. The three lovable things that Aristotle refers to in this quotation are pleasure, utility, and virtue. In his account of charity, Aquinas therefore had to explain how charity, which involves love one’s enemies and the sinners/ unrighteous is based on any of the three lovable things that Aristotle had said are the basis of friendship. The other idea of Aristotle that Saint Thomas Aquinas quoted in his argument on the nature of friendship is Aristotle’s idea that not every love has the character of friendship. On this point, Aristotle says the following, “Now there are three grounds on which people love; of the love of lifeless objects we do not use the word ‘friendship’; for it is not mutual love, nor is there a wishing of good to the other…”4. Aquinas used this idea of Aristotle in building his argument and showing how charity is built on a mutual relationship between God and man, and how this relationship has an element of well-wishing and therefore a friendship. Apart from the quotations of the Aristotle’s main tenets of his argument on friendship, St. Thomas Aquinas also quoted the scriptures extensively in his argument that charity is a form of friendship between man and God. The first scriptural quotation that in his argument is John 15:15. This verse goes as follows, “I longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my father I have made known to you.”5. St. Thomas Aquinas used this quotation in supporting is view that charity is friendship. St. Thomas Aquinas argued that Jesus told His disciples that they are friends by reason of charity. Aquinas therefore concluded that in light of this quotation, charity is friendship. The second scriptural quotation that St. Thomas Aquinas made is 1Corinth. 1:9, that says the following, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”6. Aquinas quoted this verse to show that there is indeed some communication and relationship between God and man, Aquinas therefore contended that the love which this communication is based on is charity. Aquinas therefore concluded that charity is the friendship of man for God. The third quotation from the Bible that Aquinas quoted in his argument on the nature of charity is Philippians 3:20, which goes as follows, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”7. Aquinas used this quotation to support his argument that since human beings are composite beings possessing both a physical body and a spiritual soul, the human beings therefore are able to communicate and to have a fellowship with a God, by reason of the spiritual soul that they possess. The other scriptural quotation that Aquinas used in his argument on the nature of charity is Deuteronomy 30: 20, which says the following: And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”8. Aquinas used this quotation to show one of the arguments raised in supporting the claim that Charity is God himself, and therefore charity is not something created in the soul. St. Thomas Aquinas also used a quotation from the book of wisdom to show how God orders all his creations towards fulfilling the purpose for which he created them9. Aristotle used this quotation in his argument to show that although Charity inclines one to do love God and other God’s creations, charity however is not the efficient cause of love of God and one’s neighbour. Aquinas argued that the efficient cause of love of God and other people among men flows from the free will of human beings, and therefore it is meritorious. Aristotle contended, as we shall see later in this paper, that if the grace of charity were the efficient cause of the love of God and one’s neighbour, then our love of God and other people would not be meritorious. Having analyzed in details the Aristotle’s and the scriptural sources of information that St. Thomas Aquinas used in his argument on the nature of charity, let us know answer a question on why the moral life is animated by supernatural charity. To answer this question, we need first to understand clearly Aquinas’s conception of charity. This understanding will enable us to answer this question conclusively in light of St. Thomas Aquinas’ understanding of charity. Firstly, as we have seen above in the analyzes of two main sources of information that Aquinas used in his argument on the nature of charity, Aristotle did not see any contradiction between Aristotle’s understanding of friendship and the Christian concept of charity; a look at the Aquinas’ responses on the objections that would be raised, in light of Aristotle’s understanding of friendship, against the idea of charity being a form of friendship, will show that Thomas Aquinas did not see any contradiction between the Aristotelian conception of friendship, and the Christian concept of charity. To begin with, on the objection that charity is not friendship simply because friendship requires dwelling together of the people who are in friendship. Aquinas responded that charity is a spiritual friendship since charity results from the ability of man, through the soul, to communicate with God who is spirit. Hence the idea of physical dwelling does not apply in the concept of charity. Secondly, to the objection that charity is not friendship because friendship requires reciprocation of goodwill between the people in friendship, Aquinas contended that Christian concept of charity is not against this idea, although Christian conception of charity involves loving one’s enemies. This is because charity is primarily a friendship between man and God. And since friendship involves loving one and all the things that he loves, charity enables one to love one’s enemies, simply because they are loved by God, whom you love; simply put, the love of enemy is an extension of the love of God. Hence, there is no contradiction between Aristotelian conception of friendship and the Christian concept of charity. Thirdly, to the objection that charity is neither based on pleasure, utility, or virtue, St. Thomas Aquinas objected and said that charity is indeed based on virtue. The argument that St. Thomas gave in support of his view is that charity is based on virtue because charity is the love of man directed towards God, who is perfection itself, virtuous par excellence. Again, St.Thomas Aquinas reiterated in this excellence that the love of one’s enemy is an extension of God’s love, and that it is not the love of one’s enemies primarily. Having responded to the three Aristotelian objections of charity as being a form of friendship, Aquinas went ahead to answer the question of whether or not charity is in the soul. First, Aquinas responded to the St. Augustine based claim that charity is not something created in the soul because charity is God himself10. In reply to this claim, Aquinas based his answer on Augustine’s conclusion that charity is not something created in the soul but it is the Holy Spirit Himself dwelling in the mind of human person11. Augustine went on to argue that just as we participate in other divine qualities like wisdom and goodness, we participate also in the charity, which is God himself. Aquinas then went on to argue that God/charity is the life of the soul, and that He is immediately united to the soul, just as body is intimately united to the body. The other important aspect of charity that Aquinas investigated is whether or not charity is a virtue. Basing his argument on the view of charity as a virtue that unites man to God, when all the affections of man are ordered12, Aquinas argued that charity is a virtue because it has the same goal with the moral virtue, to unite man with God. Since moral virtue must be in accord with right reason, this means that moral virtues unite man with God. So, moral virtue and charity have the same goal, although charity is a spiritual virtue. Having looked at the Aquinas’ understanding of charity, let us know proceed to answer the question of why the moral life should be animated by supernatural charity. As we have seen above, in the Thomas Aquinas’ explanation on the nature of charity, charity belongs to different order from the human friendship; charity belongs to the spiritual order. Also, we have seen that charity is the spiritual virtue that enables man to love God and to love other human other human beings as an extension of God’s love. Through charity, as we have seen above, one is able to love one’s enemy and to wish him/her well in life. Charity therefore goes beyond the moral virtue because according to the principles of moral virtue, well elaborated by Aristotle as we have seen above, friendship is possible only for people who reciprocate goodwill from each other. But through charity, it is possible to have friendship even with your enemy. The main reason therefore why the moral life is animated by supernatural charity, a life enlivened by the Holy Spirit, is that the supernatural charity compliments the moral virtues. As we have seen above, although the moral virtues lead people to God, the moral virtues are, however, deficient and they need to be complimented by divine charity that goes beyond moral virtues. As Aquinas argued, the grace of charity inclines the will to do charitable actions, which are divine actions. The grace of charity will enable us to live in perfect freedom, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit13. For this reason, the moral life should be animated by supernatural charity, so that moral life of the person may be complete, and this will enable the person to be easily united with God. A moral life, therefore, enlivened by the Holy Spirit will be a more perfect moral life than a moral life that relies only on moral virtues. References Aquinas, T. Pegis, A.C., trans. Summa Contra Gentiles. USA: University of Notre Dame Press, 1991. Print. Aristotle. Ross, W.D., trans. Nicomachean Ethics. USA: Hackett Publishers, 2005. Print. Augustine., West, A., trans. On the Trinity. Revised by William G.T. and Shed D.D. New York: St. Augustine Seminary Press, 1987. Ibid., Schaff, P., trans. On the Morals of Catholic Church. USA: Hackett Publishers, 2002. Print. Servais, P. Morality: The Catholic View. USA: South Blend: St. Augustine’s Press, 2001. Print. Read More