John Aquinas Is The Most Important Aspect Of The Common Good

Thomas Aquinas believes that killing is wrong and that it does not generate the common good because it goes against nature. Yet, humans kill animals to survive and further, animals kill one another as well as to survive. Killing for survival should not be against the common good because it is a part of nature and the common good of one’s own species. Ayn Rand on the other hand, is an egoist and believes that our moral concerns should at least primarily be for ourselves. However, by only focusing on ourselves we forget about the common good, which is what Aquinas believes is the most important aspect. Aquinas beliefs are too focused on the common good whereas Rand’s beliefs are too selfish. Combining the beliefs of the common good with an egoistic approach would be more suited for humans to generate a greater good for humans. Aquinas was a follower of Aristotle and believed in the common good over evil and his works were influenced by Aristotle but with a Christian twist to it. To Aquinas, moral goodness is the most important aspect of human nature and it is what leads human beings to act as they do, which is Aquinas’ view on the law of human nature. According to Pojman and Tramel (2009), Aquinas says that †good should be done and promoted, and evil is to be avoided† (p.21), which means that the common good is in everyone’s best interest and avoiding evil is as well. All humans ought to do what is best for nature. Nature is something that has not been modified by humansShow MoreRelatedJeremy Bentham and John Stewart Mill1712 Words   |  7 Pagessources is to be measured in the same way. Universal application of this measurement implies that there is no additional value to acts that are deemed more moral or intellectual. John Stuart Mill is an advocate of the â€Å"principle of utility† and believed the ideology behind achieving happiness was acting in favor of the highest good. He presented his theory of â€Å"Utilitarianism† as the standard of morality, which distinguished what was or wasn’t morally acceptable. Mill fully adopted Bentham’s dedicationRead MoreNatural Law And Human Law1515 Words   |  7 PagesThese three elements are often in conflict with each other. Reason is the reflective element and is the capacity to calculate and decide. Whereas appetite is a form of irrational and instinctive impulse. Plato also offered examples of this mental aspect such as thirst, hunger and sexual arousal (1980, 215). The final element, spirit, is different from appetite due to the fact it is not an instinct and instead is considered as an attitude. It is different to reason as it is not logical and calculatingRead MoreThe Distinction Between Natural Law And Legal Positivism Essay1747 Words   |  7 Pagesexample I will be looking at various theorists and their theories thereby attempting to make sense and find clarity in this regard. Furthermore to understand the aspects of natural law and legal positivism, one has to understand the theories of Cicero, Thomas Aquinas among others in regards to natural law and H.L.A. Hart, Jeremy Bentham, and John Austin for positivism. In addition one has to acknowledge the views and theories of modern theorists in contrast to the more traditional standpoints. The definitionRead MoreReflective Journal of What I have Learned in Class738 Words   |  3 PagesReflective Journal Brief summary of what we have learned in class: 1. Age of Reason Began in Early 1700s: †¢ Superstitions †¢ Beliefs in unnatural beings and magic †¢ Rationalism Voltaire: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† Rousseau; began to argue that common people deserve a better life. Pestalozzi, Herbart and Froebel applied the argument of Rousseau to education. 2. Changing Education Paradigms by Ken Robinson †¢ Public education- for economic growth and cultural identity †¢ Creativity †¢ DivergentRead MoreA Critique of Natural Law Essay2522 Words   |  11 Pagesthis confusion, there have been enough advocates among natural law thinking in Western society to make it possible to identify its major criticisms: 1. Natural law is immutable and is rooted in nature. This defines for man what is right, just, and good, and which ought to govern its actions. (Einwechter, 1999, p.1) 2. The universe is governed by reason, or rational principle which provides a basis for determining justice of man made laws. (Einwechter, p.1) 3. Natural law is the same for all humanRead MoreEssay on Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, K.Wojtyla on Person and Ego3217 Words   |  13 PagesPlotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, K.Wojtyla on Person and Ego ABSTRACT: Today the connection between person and the I is acknowledged in many respects but not always analyzed. The need to relate it to the reality of the human being has sparked the present investigation of the philosophical anthropology of four thinkers from the late ancient, medieval, and contemporary periods. Although it may seem that the question of the role of the I with respect to the human being hinges on the larger problemRead MoreThe Idea Of Basic Goods3662 Words   |  15 PagesJOHN FINNIS: THE IDEA OF BASIC GOODS (Project Report to the Term Paper towards the partial fulfillment of the assessment in the subject Jurisprudence-I) Submitted By: Submitted To: Abhinav Raj (1182) Mr. S. K. Kaushik B.A., LL.B Faculty of Jurisprudence III Semester AishwaryaTripathi (1188) B.A., LL.B III Semester Submitted on-17/08/2015 NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR SUMMER SESSION (JULY-NOVEMBERRead MoreEssay on Authority in Lisa Cahill’s â€Å"Homosexuality1169 Words   |  5 PagesAuthority in Lisa Cahill’s â€Å"Homosexuality The most difficult part of any modern theological debate is choosing the authority. With the variety of Christian denominations, individual thinkers, and outside influences, and it is often difficult to reach a general agreement. In her essay, â€Å"Homosexuality: A Case Study in Moral Argument,† Catholic theologian Lisa Cahill examines four major authorities and different ways to determine how they work together to produce a cohesive Christian ethic.Read MoreOriginal Sin1617 Words   |  7 PagesDoctrines are used as a foundation to Christian beliefs. They serve to many churches as fundamentals in the direction their members chose to live their lives. It is important to understand the historical backgrounds of the doctrines that pertain to ones particular beliefs. I will be discussing this very information for the doctrine of original sin. The doctrine of original sin mostly pertains to the Roman Catholic religion. I will be covering when, where, and why the doctrine was originated. OriginalRead MorePolitics And City Of God : Issues And Medieval Political Thought Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pageslife and organisation with a view to solving them. Its basic function is to show what political practice is and what it means or ought to mean. Thus, it is able to relate political events, and happening, people and objects under the notion of a common good or interest. The history of political theory as an intellectual tradition reflecting the evolution of men’s thoughts and ideas about political problems overtime started with the ancient Greeks and then the Romans, from about the 5th century B.C