The Ethics of Aquinas

510 Pages·2016·17.87 MB·English

by  Stephen J. Pope (editor)

The Ethics of Aquinas
J.
Stephen Pope, Editor
Georgetown University Press
Washington, D.C.
Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C.
©2002 by Georgetown University Press. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United St:ltes of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I 2002
This volume is printed on acid-free offset book paper.
Library of Congress Cat:!loging-in-Publication Dat:!
The ethics of Aquinas / Stephen]. Pope, editor.
p. cm.-(Moral traditions series)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-87840-888-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274. Summa theologica. Pars 2. 2. Thomas,
Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274-Ethics. 3. Christian ethics-Catholic authors. 4. Ethics,
Medieval. I. Pope, Stephen j., 1955-II. Series.
B765.T53 S8164 2002
241 '.042'092--<1c21
To the Society of]e sus,
with gratitude and appreciation

Contents
Preface
XI
Abbreviations xiii
The Serting of the Sllmma Theologiae of St. Thomas-Revisited 1
Leonard E. Boyle, O.P.
The Sources of the Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas 17
SelV3is-Theodore Pinckaers, O.P.
Translated by Mary Thomas Noble, O.P.
Overview of the Ethics of Thomas Aquinas 30
Stephen J. Pope
PART I: The First Part of the Second Part of the Summa Tbeologiae
Happiness (Ia lIae, qq. 1-5) 57
Georg Wieland
Translated by Grant Kaplan
The Will and Its Acts (Ia IIae, qq. 6-17) 69
David M. Gallagher
Good and Evil in Human Acts (Ia lIae, qq. 18-21) 90
Daniel Westberg
viii Contents
The Passions of the Soul (Ia ITae, qq. 22-48) 103
Kevin White
Habits and Virtues (Ia ITae, qq. 49-70) 116
Bonnie Kent
The Intellectual Virtues (Ia ITae, qq. 57-58) 131
Gregory M. Reichberg
Vice and Sin (Ia ITae, qq. 71-89) 151
Eileen Sweeney
Natural Law and Human Law (Ia ITae, qq. 90-97) 169
Clifford G. Kossel, SJ.
The Old Law and the New Law (Ia ITae, qq. 98-108) 194
Pamela M. Hall
Grace (Ia ITae, qq. 109-114) 207
Theo Kobusch
Translated hy Grant Kaplan and Frederick G. Lawrence
PART D: The Second Part of the Second Part of the Sum'l1Ul Tbeologiae
The Theological Virtue of Faith: An Invitation to an Ecclesial Life of Truth
(IIa ITae, qq. 1-16) 221
Stephen F. Brown
The Theological Virtue of Hope (IIa ITae, qq. 17-22) 232
Romanus Cessario, O.P.
The Theological Virtue of Charity (IIa ITae, qq. 23-46) 244
Eberhard Schockenhoff
Translated by Grant Kaplan and Frederick G. Lawrence
The Virtue of Prudence (IIa ITae, qq. 47-56) 259
James F. Keenan, SJ.
The Virtue of Justice (IIa IIae, qq. 58-122) 272
Jean Porter
Contents il
Sins Against Justice (ITa IIae, qq. 59-78) 287
Martin Rhonhcimer
Translated by Frederick G. Lawrence
The Virtue of Courage (ITa IIae, qq. 123-140) 304
R. E. Houser
The Virtue of Temperance (ITa IIae, qq. 141-170) 321
Diana Fritz Cates
Charisms, Forms, and States of Life (ITa IIae, qq. 171-189) 340
Serge-Thomas Bonino, O.P.
Translated by Mary Thomas Noble, O.P.
PART ill: The Twentieth-Century Legacy
Interpreting Thomas Aquinas: Aspects of the
Dominican School of Moral Theology in the Twentieth Century 355
Thomas F. O'Meara, O.P.
Interpreting Thomas Aquinas: Aspects of the
Redemptorist and Jesuit Schools in the Twentieth Century 374
Raphael Gallagher, C.SS.R
Thomistic Moral Philosophy in the Twentieth Century 385
Clifford G. Kossel, S.).
Interpretations of Aquinas's Ethics Since Vatican II 412
Thomas S. Hibbs
The Evaluation of Goods and the Estimation of Consequences:
Aquinas on the Determination of the Morally Good 426
Ludger Honnefelder
Lonergan and Aquinas: The Postmodem Problematic of
Theology and Ethics 437
Frederick G. Lawrence
Contributors 457
Index 461

Preface
Recent years have wimessed a remarkable re about the meaning and contemporary norma
vival of interest in the ethics of Thomas Aqui tive significance of Aquinas's moral thought.
nas. Scholars have produced books and articles They cenainly do not comprise a single school
on the life of Aquinas, his spirituality, and his of thought. This variety underscores the way in
understanding of the relation between faith and which Thomistic ethics continues to be the
reason, nature and grace, reason and faith, and scene of lively intellectual development.
other theological themes. Moralists have writ The citations in the essays come from a vari
ten on his accounts of human acts and agency, ety of Thomistic teXIS (including various differ
happiness, the will, the virtues, and various spe ent teXIS of the SlImma). Some scholars use the
cial topics. Some authors provide brief and very latest critical editions made available by the
general overviews of Thomistic ethics, but Leonine Commission; others draw from alter
none offers a comprehensive treatment of the native standard editions such as those published
basic moral arguments and content of Aquinass by Marietti. Each author furnishes an English
major moral work, the Second Pan of the translation of the words of Aquinas in the body
SlImma theologiae. This work intends to fill this of his or her chapter; readers who wish to con
lacuna. sult the Latin teXIS can find them in the notes.
This book addresses a fairly wide audience. It A word about the structure of the volume is
intends to attract the anention of expens, but in order. The initial chapters introduce readers
also to assist readers who are interested, but not to the sources, methods, and major themes of
necessarily specialists, in the moral thought of Aquinas's ethics. These orienting essays will be
Aquinas. Its essays complement, but do not sub especially helpful for readers who have less fa
stitute for, a careful study of the primary texIS. miliarity with Aquinas's theology than some
The chapters in this volume reflect a variety others.
of intellectual perspectives. The contributors The second, more lengthy, pan of the book
come from numerous fields, including intellec provides an extended discussion of the treatises
tual history, medieval studies, moral philoso presented in the Second Pan of the SlImma.
phy, religious ethics, and moral theology. Some Aquinas himself did not divide the text accord
authors have spent a lifetime working with spe ing to "treatises," but, for the sake of clarity and
cific texIS of Aquinas, others draw from Aquinas order, we use this conventional system of de
as one among a number of resources that help marcation. These chapters are not exacdy
address their primary concerns with contempo "commentaries" in the sense of 3. line-by-line
rary moral issues. As a whole, the contributors explication of texIS; our authors do not provide
to this volume represent a spectrum of views any critical discussion relating to the estab-
xii Prefilce
lishment of reliable texts, or much in the way of ethics colleagues at Boston College: Lisa Sowle
philological and grammatical analysis. They Cahill, David Hollenbach, S.J., and John Paris,
seek only to present cogent interpretations of S.J.
the structure, major arguments, and themes of I also owe a debt of gratitude for the manu
each of the "treatises." script help given to me by Boston College
The third part of this volume examines vari graduate students Thomas Boland, Grant
ous aspects of Thomistic ethics in the twen Kaplan, Michael Moreland, and Virgilio
tieth century and beyond. Some of the con Oliveira-y-Costa. Special thanks are due in this
tributors to this section trace various regard to Waleer Hannam, a most able student
movements within Thomistic moral philoso of medieval theology, who worked meticulously
phy and moral theology in the last century, to check, complete, and, in some cases, correct
others take a more prospective view of future references found in the chapters of this volume.
developments of Thomistic ethics. These The Office of the Academic Vice President
chapters make it abundantly clear that far from and the Office of Research Administration at
being a monolithic and static moral theory, Boston College supported work on this book
Thomism is a tradition of inquiry that con through a filculty incentive grant and a research
tinues to experience the same kind of devel expense grant. Thanks are due to several sup
opment that marks other such traditions. portive administrators at Boston College, in
The present study was made possible by the cluding the former Academic Vice President,
labor of many generous people. A number of Fr. WIlliam B. Neenan, SJ.; the present Aca
friends and colleagues offered valuable counsel demic Vice President, Michael A. Smyer; and
on important aspects of the project, not the the current Associate Academic Vice President
least of which concerned the selection of its for Faculties, Paaicia DeLeeuw.
authors. I would like to acknowledge the help I am most grateful to my wife, Patti, and to
given to me in this regard by Jean Porter; my children, Mike, Katie, and Stevie. Their
Stephen E Brown; Romanus Cessario, O.P.; generous love, support, and humor consistently
and James E Keenan, S.J. I would also like to sustain me.
thank the translators, Frederick Lawrence, Finally, I dedicate this book to the Society of
Grant Kaplan, and Sister Mary Thomas Noble, Jesus, whose members have done much to pro
O.P. In a more general but very important way, mote the study of St. Thomas.
I express special appreciation for my superb