Aquinas On Natural Law And Human Law - 1380 Words

In â€Å"Aquinas on Natural Law and Human Law† and â€Å"Aquinas on Happiness and the Kinds of Laws† by Thomas Aquinas and in â€Å"Utilitarianism† and â€Å"On Liberty† by John Stuart Mill they discuss their version of the ideal society that we should be living in. Aquinas asserts that all humans must strive to find happiness and God while Mill claims that the good life is one of maximizing pleasure that our society must help create. Aquinas thinks the common good is for all, while Mill does not think that everyone in society should have access to it, which is why I agree with Aquinas’ version of society more than Mills. Aquinas was deeply influenced by Aristotle and agrees with him that happiness should be our primary focus. According to Aquinas, happiness is based on God and our desires. He argues that there are both higher and lower desires, the higher being one in accordance with faith and God where the lower is our Earthly pleasures. Aqui nas asserts that it is society’s duty to satisfy our material wants, allowing us to endeavor for the rational parts of our nature. It is impossible to be completely happy without fulfilling both of these desires according to Aquinas, this means that it is impossible to be completely happy on Earth without faith. He says, â€Å"Final and perfect happiness can consist in nothing else than the vision of Divine Essence† (Summa Theologiae 2). Aquinas argues that as a society we seek to know the essence of things. To achieve that objective, we mustShow MoreRelatedSt. Thomas Aquinas: the Human Law and Natural Law Debate1523 Words   |  7 PagesThe Human Law and Natural Law Debate Heather Saunders 250583261 Thomistic Philosophy 2214 Dr. Fox March 21, 2012 The Human Law and Natural Law Debate Are we naturally moral creatures? Do we always act towards the common good of others? 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