Contemporary Thinkers: Plato And Aristotle Essay, Research Paper

divine law, and human law. The pursuit of happiness is a search for the good

life, which is composed of virtuous actions and falls under the realm of divine

law. Generosity consists in giving neither too little nor too much. Aristotle

also describes intellectual virtue and moral virtue, which correspond to the

soul, or as Aquinas classified it, part of the Eternal law. The effort to

perform virtuous acts creates the desire to do the right thing for its own sake

and also creates practical wisdom. Because human beings are not purely rational

a flourishing, happy, human life demands the exercise of both the intellectual

and the moral virtues, all of which are interpreted by Aquinas and classified

accordingly.

1. (E.E.)Introduction to Political Thinkers William Ebenstien and

Alan O. Ebenstien Harcourt Brace College Publishers ?1992 by Holt, Rinehart and

Winston, Inc.

2. (NAB) The New American Bible for Catholics World Catholic Press ?1970 by the

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine

3. (Manning) Dr. Kerry James Manning

4. (GME) Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia ?1995 by Grolier Electronic Publishing,

Inc.