A Study on Thomas Aquinas' Classification of Intellectual, Moral and Theological Virtues

Abstract

Thomas Aquinas is one of the most prolific philosophers of the Medieval Period, and his philosophical views have inspired many contemporary thinkers in addition to those of his own time. Although the Aristotelian underpinnings of his position on intellectual and moral virtues are extensively addressed, his theological virtues still need to be sufficiently examined. Those who advocate a rule-based understanding of virtue in contemporary virtue debates do not cite Aquinas. However, as we shall demonstrate, Aquinas provides the most straightforward, comprehensive, and consistent example of a rule-based understanding of virtue. To do so, we first attempt to identify the essence, definition, and justifications of virtues in Aquinas, then analyze the genesis of virtue as moral action within the context of his general theory of action. Second, the origin of intellectual, moral and theological virtues shall be discussed. This study will identify the fundamentals of the rule-based understanding of virtue in Aquinas by showing how his conception of virtue differs fundamentally from that of Aristotle.