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“Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man’s own will.” St- Thomas Aquinas   People often do things for no reason; they’re chaotic.

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Presentation on theme: "“Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man’s own will.” St- Thomas Aquinas   People often do things for no reason; they’re chaotic."— Presentation transcript:

1 “Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man’s own will.” St- Thomas Aquinas
People often do things for no reason; they’re chaotic – we do meaningless things, there is often no point to what we are doing. Not every action has to mean something. Everybody knows what happiness is. And what happiness is has nothing to do with how man is made. True happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement - however beneficial it may be - such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love. CCC 1723 The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God CCC 27

2 Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen.

3 Is Happiness within our control?
That is, within the control of humankind? And does humankind always act rational (making the best decisions) in order to achieve happiness.

4 Happiness has been declared to be that at which all things aim.

5 Since there are evidently more than one end, and we choose some of these (e.g. wealth, flutes, and in general instruments) for the sake of something else, clearly not all ends are final ends; but the chief good is evidently something final. Therefore, if there is only one final end, this will be what we are seeking, and if there are more than one, the most final of these will be what we are seeking. Now we call that which is in itself worthy of pursuit more final than that which is worthy of pursuit for the sake of something else, and that which is never desirable for the sake of something else more final than the things that are desirable both in themselves and for the sake of that other thing, and therefore we call final without qualification that which is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else. Now such a thing happiness, above all else, is held to be; for this we choose always for itself and never for the sake of something else, but honour, pleasure, reason, and every virtue we choose indeed for themselves (for if nothing resulted from them we should still choose each of them), but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, judging that through them we shall be happy. Happiness, on the other hand, no one chooses for the sake of these, nor, in general, for anything other than itself. -Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1097

6 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. Ecclesiastes (Ch. 2) This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. -Ecclesiastes (Ch. 5)


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