What Beatitude Is
“Happiness is an operation in accord with perfect virtue” is this Aristotelian concept.
Function argument/happiness is rational activity in accordance with virtue
This is the law created by people.
Human
This is eternal law.
God’s plan for all creation
This is how we know the natural law.
Known “per se” or by reason. Natural law is known both in its own right (because it is definitionally true) and as regards to us (because everyone knows what the terms mean)
This is the Euthyphro (youth-i-thro) dilemma in relation to Aquinas.
Are things (a) forbidden because they are wrong, or (b) wrong because they are forbidden? If (a), then God’s involvement in morality is minimal, and if (b), then morality is arbitrary
This form of beatitude is attainable in this life.
Imperfect beatitude
This is the law that is God’s plan for all creation.
Eternal
T/F: Sciences are part of the eternal law.
True, they describe part of the natural/God-written order of things
This is the first precept of the natural law.
Good ought to be done, evil ought ot be avoided
This is how Aquinas would address the challenge that the Euthyphro Dilemma poses.
(a) God’s involvement is not minimal because he created our nature and (b) commands against our nature are harmful, and in order to make a contradictory command that doesn’t go against our nature, God would have to change our nature, which would make us not human
This form of beatitude consists in seeing God’s essence.
Perfect beatitude
This is the eternal law applied to humans.
Natural
This is why a “plan” for creation can be considered a law.
Because all things have to follow this plan/orders
This is how the second precepts of natural law are related to “natural inclinations” or human nature.
The second precepts are derived from them
This is human law.
Laws passed by human legislators/authorities
Aristotle says eudaimonia is found in the speculative sciences/wisdom. This is why Aquinas disagrees.
Because that is imperfect beatitude, and perfect beatitude/eudaimonia is unattainable in this life and found only in seeing God’s essence.
To be a real law, a law must be bound by this.
Reason
This is why the eternal law can be known.
We can learn about the world through the sciences and gain knowledge of how God ordered things.
This is one of the inclinations of the second precept, and a good and evil associated with it.
Preservation of life, reproduction and rearing offspring, knowing the truth (about God), living in society, virtues
This is how human law is related to natural law.
Human law is only valid if it stems from natural law as conclusions or specifications
Aquinas justifies the distinction between perfect and imperfect beatitude through two Aristotelian arguments. This is one of them.
Perfect beatitude is final AND perfect beatitude is self-sufficient/lacking in nothing
To be a real law, a law must be ordered toward this
The common good
This is why the eternal law cannot be known in full in this life.
It cannot be known in full because human knowledge is incomplete and learning takes time.
This is how the natural law is related to happiness.
It is meant to “perfect our natures” and bring about a good life
This is how human law is related to virtue.
Human law can help habituate evil-doers to virtue through fear of punishment