Philo - Summary 6p232w

Summary 5.1. Realized that “All Actions Have Consequences” A. Aristotle – The Power of Violation For Aristotle, a human being is rational. Reason is divine characteristics. Humans have the spark of the divine. If there were no intellect, there would be no will. Reason can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be translated into action. The will of humanity is an instrument of free choice.

Action Will Reason

Figure 5.1. Aristotle: Intellectual Freedom Reason, Will and Action drives each other. B. St. Thomas Aquinas – Love is Freedom St. Thomas Aquinas considers the human being as a moral agent. Through our spirituality, we have a conscience. Whether we choose to be “good” or “evil” becomes our responsibility. Aquinas gives fourfold classification of law:    

Eternal Law is the decree of God that governs all creation. Human Law Natural Law is the human “participation” in the eternal law and is discovered by reason. Divine Law

St. Thomas emphasizes the freedom of humanity but chooses love in governing humanity’s life. Since God is Love, then Love is the guiding principle of humanity toward his self-perception and happiness his ultimate destiny. C. St. Thomas Aquinas - Spiritual Freedom Actions (Good or Evil) Conscience God’s Love

Figure 5.2. Spiritual Freedom

St. Thomas Aquinas establishes the existence of God as a first cause. Of all God’s creations, human beings have the unique power to change themselves and things around them for the better. As humans, we are both material and spiritual. We have a conscience because of our spirituality. God is Love and Love is our destiny

D. Jean Paul Sartre: Individual Freedom Sartre’s philosophy is considered to be a representative of existentialism. For Sartre, the human person is the desire to be God: the desire to exist as a being which has its sufficient ground in itself (en sui causa). Sartre’s existentialism stems for this principle: existence precedes essence. The person is provided with a supreme opportunity to give meaning to one’s life. Authentic existence is realized only in deeds that are committed alone, in absolute freedom and responsibility and which, therefore, the character of true creation. The person is what one has done and is doing. The human person who tries to escape obligations and strives to be en-soi is acting on bad faith (mauvais foi) Sartre emphasizes the importance of free individual choice, regardless of the power of other people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs and decisions. To be human, to be conscious, is to be free imagine, free to choose, and be responsible for one’s life.

E. Thomas Hobbes: Theory of Social Contract