Philosophy 152 Philosophy of Human Nature Darwall Fall 1996 AQUINAS I I Historical Background A. 1224?-1274. B. The Christian context. C. Influence of Aristotle. II Secular vs. Christian views of human nature: Plato, Aristotle, Mencius vs. Aquinas. A. According to Aquinas we cannot understand our own nature adequately without understanding our relation to God. Human happiness requires union with God, and God forms the basis for the moral law. B. Today we will look at Aquinas's ideas about the soul. Wednesday we will consider his views about human happiness. And Friday we will discuss his views about the relation between God and morality (what he calls natural law). III Aquinas believes that human beings have souls that are immaterial or "incorporeal" and immortal. Are you inclined to agree? Let us examine some of his arguments for the immateriality of the soul. A. p. 152-3: "But it is the first principle of life which we call the soul . . . act of a body . . . " B. p. 153: "It must necessarily be allowed that the principle of intellectual operation . . . incorporeal and subsistent . . . " C. p. 154: "The soul has no matter . . . primary animate." D. p. 154: "For it is clear that whater is received into something . . . exempt from composition of matter and form."