Abstracts Philosophy, Religion, and Theology

Aquinas on the Possibility of Comprehending God: The Extent to Which the Divine Essence Can be Known by the Human Intellect in the Beatific Vision

by Amber Donihue

Philosophers and theologians have debated for centuries about man’s ultimate end. Aristotle postulated that man’s end was primarily intellectual. The early ideas of human happiness in Christianity did not depend upon man’s intellect, but instead argued that some sort of union with God would be sufficient for human happiness. In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas attempted to reconcile these two traditions. Aquinas postulates that man has two ends, one natural and one supernatural. While it is only through Divine intervention that man may attain or even know of the supernatural end, Aquinas thought that anyone could obtain the natural end. Both ends, according to Aquinas, are intellectual. The natural end is that of understanding the world, and the supernatural end is an intellectual union with God whereby man comes to direct knowledge of God in His essence. When man learns of God’s grace through revelation, man’s end is no longer merely natural, but instead it is the knowledge of God. In order to make this move, Aquinas relied not only upon Aristotle and the Christian tradition but also arguably upon the Aristotelian tradition as understood by Arabic philosophers such as Averroes. Metaphysics Epistemology Philosophy of Religion Agent Intellect, Aquinas, Beatific Vision, Comprehension, Intention, Possible Intellect Philosophy Degree Awarded: M.A. – Philosophy. The Catholic University of America