criticizing philosophical ethics of Thomas aquinas

Subject: Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas When we deeply discuss Thomas Aquinas ethical ideology, we will find so much things which are eminently different with other philosophers even his master Aristotle, his idea of ethics is so extensive and profound, so, that is why he is so-called very great philosopher in the history. Probably the main reason why he differ to other is he is a under the religious Dominic background, his idea composed by philosophy and theology at the same time, but here we do not talk his theology, while talk about his philosophical ethics. Basically his ethics is shown in Summa theology, second part, summa Contra Gentile, third part, and treatise on governance of rulers. This paper focus on discussing his ideological background, ethic perspectives, including virtual ethics specific, different ethics with Aristotle, and other focuses. Medieval thinker, Thomas Aquinas, play a vital role in many areas not only in philosophy, but theology and even legal, political and ideological history, in order to understand his ethical thinking, we may approach to grasp the precise the systematic Thomistic moral philosophy, what we call Aristotelian-Thomist tradition, and his specific from his writings and other commentaries. Denis Bradley mentioned in order to understand adequately the contrast between Aquinas’s rational theological ethics and strictly philosophical ethics, we need to know how Aquinas read Aristotle.[1] Which implies how the relationship between Thomas and Aristotle is, respectively, we cannot neglect Aquinas’s theological beliefs and metaphysical tenets in his mind, especially Thomistic metaphysical doctrine of “participation”, so that those things should be considered in understanding or criticizing his ethics now, and also use holistic approach to treat or see his writing and writing of his followers. Background of Aquinas’s Ethics Thinking. We know that the system of Aquinas philosophy is under the framework of character and development of Aristotle, notwithstanding he specified his ideas sometime, but not absolutely separated with him, there are many ethics experts believe that the history of Aristotle’s ethics is the called “virtue ethics”, that is why we need to understand the Aristotle philosophical system first. Liu jinchang concludes Artistotle philosophy as following: [2] 多瑪斯的倫理思想和他的哲學體系相似，在一般的情況之下，主要是本著亞里斯多德的哲學思路與倫理特徵來述說與發展，而倫理學史專家則多認為亞氏的倫理學乃所謂的「德性倫理學」，多瑪斯的倫理思想基本上是屬於此一思想系統的路線。組織論：邏輯學 Organization Theory: Logic 整體理論哲學：形上學(第一哲學/(自然)神學)，物性學、數學(第二哲學)The whole theory of philosophy: metaphysics (first philosophy / (natural) theology), physics and Mathematics (Second philosophy) 科學實踐哲學：倫理學、經濟學、政治學Science and practical philosophy: ethics, economics, political science (哲學) 詩文哲學：藝術哲Poetry Philosophy: Philosophy of Art This distinction shows that Ethics belongs to the practical philosophy in the whole philosophy of Aristotle For Aristotle, the ethics and political science and economics are the same rank, to think about the ethical have to address the issue of political and economic magnitude, this also means that Aristotle's ethics is not limited to the level of personal ethics, but also and in the ethical dimension of society. In the eyes of Aristotle, the highest applied Science is political science, while ethics is part of political science, the British Aristotelian experts WDRoss, [3] pointed out that in Aristotle, "the entire political science "is divided into two parts, called Ethics and Political Science. Aristotle's Ethics is about the society, and his political science is about the ethics science, he did not forget the individual person is the basic members of society in his political study, he did not forget the good country life is mere existed its good life of citizens in his politics.有關亞氏的倫理學思想主要可以從《宜高邁倫理學》（Nicomachean Ethics）一書加以探討；亞里斯多德的倫理學是從我人平常所知道的道理、經驗、習慣開始，然後一步步往上去探討所不知道的絕對真理，亞氏認為人生主要在追求善─幸福，而這也是政治的目的，「政治與倫理之目的，唯在求人之善」。 In order to know the thinking of Aristotle's ethics mainly be from Nicomachean Ethics, [4] Aristotle's ethics is usually from people, truth, experience, habits, and then step by step to explore the absolute truth that we don’t know. Aristotle thought mainly in the pursuit of good life is happiness, which is also the purpose of politics, purpose of studying political and ethical is for sake of goodness. 亞里斯多德指出，要研究政治學和倫理學的學生，須有良好的教養、道德基礎穩定才能從中獲益。so sooo So those who study politics and ethics must have a good education.亞氏提到德性有兩種：理智的德性與倫理的德性，而這兩種德性都需要培育養成。 Aristotle Virtue has two types: rational morality and virtue ethics, and both should be cultivated.[5] Ceng yangru considers [6] Aristotle’s ethics can be said a happiness theory, teleology, and rationalism. For sake of understanding what happiness is, we need to understand what human being is, what difference between human being and animal is discussed by Aristotle, Aristotle advocates that people are rational being, human life is based on rational principles, the rational principles includes not only passively obey the instructions of the principle of rationality, but also take the initiative to have the ability to exercise rational principle. 所謂的幸福，並非個人主觀的感受且是隨心所欲漫無標準，對亞里斯多德而言，幸福有三條件：身體（健康）、財富與德性，這三條件是同時必備的，缺乏理性與美德就沒有幸福可言，「幸福是善德的實現」Happiness is not the personal subjective feelings and random arbitrary standards, Aristotle, defines happiness has three conditions: the body (health), wealth and virtue, these three conditions are necessary at the same time, if no rationality and virtue, there will be no happiness at all, his idea is similar with Chinese proverb: Happiness is the realization of holy virtue." 基本上，亞氏的倫理學從人類的自愛出發，但是卻不是只限於自私自利的層面，他的倫理也強調在理性之間的中道，中庸之道是亞氏倫理學的特徵。Basically, Aristotle's Ethics, starting from the human self-love, but is not limited to the level of selfishness, he also stressed the ethical in a rational middle way. For Thomas Aquinas, basically he uses Aristotle's philosophy, for instance, metaphysics, epistemology, and psychology, and even cosmology and ethics opinions of the thinking, in general he follows Aristotle, but one the fundamental spirit level, St. Thomas Aquinas have been following the principles of Christian philosophy or more accurately described as the orthodox Christian theology to deepen and expand Aristotle thought, its philosophical principle can help clear exposition of medieval theology and faith issues. Copleston神父在《多瑪斯思想簡介》書中，曾經說明亞氏與多瑪斯的思想關連與差異，同時也指出多瑪斯的倫理學和亞氏的區別，Copleston說： Father Copleston in the book, Thomas Aquinas's Thought, spelled out the connection and difference between Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, Copleston said:[7] 多瑪斯完全清楚知道，一位好像亞里斯多德的希臘哲學家，能夠區別道德的與不道德的行動；而且他自己也採納了許多亞里斯多德關於倫理問題所作的分析。Thomas Aquinas's completely know that one of the Greek philosopher Aristotle seems to be able to distinguish between moral and immoral actions, and that he himself has adopted a number of Aristotle on the analysis of ethical issues. 不過，他也深信，如果我們沒有天主的啟示，那麼關於人生的目的，以及人類的至高之善等問題，就只能有一個不完善的和不全相稱的知識。 However, he also convinced that if we do not have God's revelation, then the purpose of life as well as the highest of the good of mankind and so on which can only have an imperfect and incomplete knowledge….. …當他討論人的最後目的時，他以亞里斯多德的『幸福』觀念開始，而以『在天上享見天主』這個基督教會的道理結束；或者當他討論德性時，他也是以談論有關『信、望、愛』這三種『神性或超性之德』，來完成他的討論。When he discusses the final purpose, he starts from Aristotle's concept happiness to discuss it, but end by contemplation of God as perfect happiness. In Pocket Aquinas [8] book, saying perfect happiness as the contemplation of God, the end of our desires is God, hence, the act whereby we are primarily joined to him is basically and substantially our happiness. But we are primarily united with God by an act of understanding; and therefore, the very seeing of god, our happiness. And when he discusses ethics, he adds three theological virtue, faith, hope, and charity. The object of theological virtue is God himself, who is the last of all, as surpassing our knowledge of our reason. . For this point, Aquinas surpasses and promotes the Aristotle’s philosophical ethics. Alasdair Macintyre in A Short History of Ethics,[9] 本世紀的倫理學大師A. Maclntyre在《倫理學簡史》中，也提到多瑪斯的倫理學在默觀（qewria）、telos，以及諸德性等概念之意義上，轉化了亞里斯多德的倫理觀，補充了自然法（natural law）的啟示內含；最主要的是，他們兩人的倫理學在人性的基本見解上有差異，因為多瑪斯是基督徒他認為人性受到原罪的影響，無法實踐人內心所想also referred to Thomas Aquinas's concept of ethics in silent contemplation (qewria), telos, as well as the various concepts of meaning of virtue, Aquinas transformed of Aristotle's ethics and complemented the natural law includes the Enlightenment. Therefore their main difference is on the level of basic view of human nature, as Thomas Aquinas was a Christian he believes that human nature affected by original sin, human cannot practice what act we desire in our heart. 我們可以看出，多瑪斯原則上只是補充，而非取代亞里斯多德的倫理學，但是多瑪斯更主張說，亞氏所說的幸福乃不完美的幸福，因為幸福在能看見上帝；亞氏的幸福是在今生中獲得，但是對多瑪斯而言，真正的幸福是屬於來生之事；且我們知道，多瑪斯的上帝觀與亞里斯多德的上帝觀，在上帝「位格的」性質認識上截然不we can see that Thomas Aquinas's principle only complement and not replace Aristotle's ethics, but Thomas also argued that Aristotle referred to happiness is not perfect happiness, because happiness can be seen in God; Aristotle's happiness in this life to gain, but Thomas Aquinas, the true happiness is a matter of the next life. Denis Bradley mentioned, Aquinas transforms the Aristotelian notion of eudaimonia by introducing the theological distinction between “imperfect” and “perfect” happiness. [10] Thus, we can say their differential concept may focus on the nature of God. Thomas Aquinas's Virtue Ethics德性倫理學所專注的是如何成就聖賢人格、重視人的性格特點，所問的問題是：「要成為甚麼樣的人？」、「我該是怎樣的人？」，德性倫理學在最近二十年來，重新受到倫理學界的注意。,多瑪斯的倫理學甚多討論到德性問題，聖師認為德性是一種使人易於行善的習慣： there are a lot of issues discussed; Saint thinks virtue that is people’s habit easily to do good. So that he distinguishes different virtue, human nature virtue including moral virtue and intellectual virtue, and supernatural virtue, moral virtue (cardinal virtue: Prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude), while supernatural virtue: faith, hope and love - the three theological virtues. His three theological virtue shows that the virtue is not only talk about right or fault, justice or injustice, but further discuss how to reach our ultimate end of man, therefore his ethics is a virtue ethics. Because he is able to give us a complete notion of ethics, four cardinal virtues is for perfect humanness, three theological virtues is connect virtue between God and human beings. Thus, we can say Thomas Aquinas’s virtue is different with classical Greece and Chinese Confucian Virtue Ethics, because in general ethics rarely refer faith, hope, love, etc. In addition, 我們可以發現，當多瑪斯討論倫理學思想之時，他頻頻論及上帝的恩典，從基督信仰系統神學上的恩典論觀點，來了解多瑪斯的神學倫理學乃是重要的一環。多瑪斯認為人類始祖犯罪導致整個人性受到創傷，即使四樞德是德性的功臣，也經常受到罪所損傷，恩典與德性不同，恩典是另外的一種德性－「是另有一種從外灌注的德性，是把世人作較高的安排，來達成一較高的目的，因而所依據的，是一種較高的本性，即是他所參享的『神』的本性，…正由於這種參享，我們才得稱為重生作上帝的子女。」，從外灌注的德性叫人依照恩典之光來行事，而恩典也不是信、望、愛這三種神學德性，人能夠知道恩典的臨在是由於啟示；我們可以說多瑪斯的倫理學特色在此充分顯示出來，人性倫理其行善的最高峰grace is another virtue for Thomas Aquinas, it is another perfusion from the outside of virtue from God in accordance with the infusion of people to act in the light of grace, so grace is not faith, hope, and love these three theological virtues, Liu Jinchang says[11] because human beings are arranged by God is to participate in nature of god, so man can be son or daughter of God.在《神學大全》裡頭多瑪斯用不少篇幅探討恩典論的問題，他認為人類德性的完成，與上帝的恩典有絕對的關係。 In the "Summa theology,” [12] treatise on Grace, (Q 104-109), Thomas Aquinas discusses lots points of grace, he thought there is a necessarily and absolutely relationship between achievement of human virtue and God’s grace. It is why Dominicans emphasize more grace in human salvation.人類德性最基本的原則是合乎「正當的理性」以及「中庸」－適當的時間、地點、方法等，而正當的理性所產生的第一倫理原則是：「行善避惡」，雖然所謂的善可能人人定義不同，但是對於人類而言，有客觀的行為法則可以依循，這客觀的行為法則就其通性來說乃自然法，若就人類主體而言則是指人類個人的良知，基本上可以說肯定自然法與人的良知，是人性普遍共通的「判準」。 It is said by Liu Jinchang, the most fundamental principles of human morality is in line with "legitimate reason" and "moderation" in an appropriate time, place, method, and so rational and proper ethics arising from the first principle is: "do good avoid evil". [13] Although different people have different definition of good, but for humans, have an objective code of conduct to follow, it is a natural law, according to Dr. Vasco teaching, [14] natural law with God created universal is under divine law and moral law is included in natural law, which also participate in eternal law. Mary Clark in his essay,[15] saying that and such participation by the rational creature in the eternal law is called natural law. The natural law is in individual conscience and syderesis of mankind, basically, it can be said definitely natural law and human conscience combine a common human nature in general "criterion." Etienne Gilson also saying law is a determination that is at the very least based on custom and is in accord with universal conscience. [16] In summa Contra Gentiles, Thomas makes mention of Law as a guide for human ethics when he discusses the problem of ethics. In Summa Contra Gentiles, [17]the second part, 111-146, discussed the law, the correct belief, latria, marriage, human relations, poverty, chastity, virtue, reward and punishment, etc, these laws are named divine law, Thomas insists it is necessarily existed to ration human for both individual and social community, because only people, rational creature are qualified to accept the law, for main purpose of the law is to guide human beings going to the end of human life united with God through practice of these virtues. God’s arranges these laws in order to let people understand and love God; therefore, ultimate virtue is attributed to the Lord. Law’s purposes mainly manifested in the love of the neighborhood, this is the "new law" is the law of love, that is, love Heavenly Father and love the world, Thomas Aquinas even think that this is belonging to the content of natural law, in line with the common nature of all human beings. 德性的具體實踐內容與宗教禮儀、三願（神貧、服從、貞節）等相關：it is the concrete practice of virtue and religious rituals, three vows (poverty, obedience and chastity) and other relevant virtues. Thomas thinks these virtues are attributed divine law, and this law should be a universal law for human being, thus he intensively discussed in Contra Gentiles. Here I discuss more his theological virtue or supernatural virtue: faith, hope, love. 神學美德也叫「超德」（supernatural virtues），此一術語始於十三世紀，是指那超過人性的本能、且完全出於上主恩典所帶來的力量與德性，所以超德乃來自他力而非自力；十六世紀以前超德的討論多屬教義神學的範圍，十六世紀以後則多在倫理神學中探討，現今則除了在神學倫理學範疇內，也在救恩論、靈修神學裡頭反省超德的課題，當今天主教倫理神學泰斗B. ing，在《基督之律》書中稱呼超德為「直接以上主為對象的德性」，也是道德生活的超性化（神性化）基礎。ÁHThis one began in the thirteenth century, In Christian philosophy, theological virtues are the character qualities associated with salvation. The three theological virtues are: Faith - steadfastness in belief , Hope- expectation of and desire of receiving; refraining from despair and capability of not giving up, Love or Charity - selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving-kindness.[18] From his theological virtue, we see clearly the theological character of the Thomistic moral order, and he insists how man enables to see God in the heaven is through not only the theological virtue but also divine grace mentioned previously. given this foundational theological belief, which determines its point of view, Thomistic ethics cannot be fully characterized as philosophical, only faith, not philosophy affirms that man can actually attain the God. Thomas pointed out that the object of faith is the first truth, and apart from virtue revealed by God, there is no any other things based on God. The basis of faith is a sacred truth, including Incarnation of Jesus Christ, Trinity of God, and Church sacraments. Thomas Aquinas tells us that theological virtue is for the purpose of God. Maritain, Jacques also states there are two kinds virtue, one is infused virtue, another one is acquired virtue, latter one is natural virtue, while former one is supernatural virtue.[19] But Denis J.M. Bradley saying that theological character of Aquinas’s moral science does not derogate it rational character, because moral order made by human choice and action done because human has rational intellect and will.[20] So this is how we consider Thomistic ethics is still a part of his philosophy, therefore, Denis Bradley once concludes that Aquinas’s moral science is, according to its own standard, both rational and theological.[21] Moral good and evil, through Thomas writing, we know it is impossible to completely know God's infinite goodness is our mind. 當然，至善上主的屬性與這世上惡的存在似有衝突，多瑪斯也理會到當中的問題，不過他區分了物質的惡、倫理的惡之不同，且人類的自私、愚昧也帶來許多不幸；多瑪斯看來傾向主張說倫理的惡並非上主所積極願意的，但好像為了使倫理的善可以在對照之下顯出光明，上主容許了倫理的惡。 Of course, the perfect attributes of God and the existence of evil in this world may have a conflict to which Thomas Aquinas also ignored the issue, but he made a distinction between substances evil and ethics evil, and also human selfishness, ignorance also brings to many unfortunate in the world, Thomas Aquinas argued and inclined to say evil is Lord is not willing to have the ethics evil, but it seems to be for good ethics in contrast evil, God allowed ethics evil to exist. The Source of Ethics of Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas believed that morality is based on the nature of things created, that is, the so-called "natural law".. 由於一切事物都是上帝按其智慧創造的，因此，自然法的基礎在於上帝的理性或智慧（the order of divine reason or wisdom），此即所謂永恆法（eternal law）。 Because all things are created by God according to their intelligence, the foundation of natural law is God's rationality or intelligence (the order of divine reason or wisdom), namely the so-called eternal law. 道德是人透過理性分辨，對自然法的掌握，亦即間接對上帝永恆法則的參與。 Morality is rational to distinguish through the grasp of natural law, or indirectly on the participation of God's eternal law. 因此，道德的終極基礎不是上帝的意志，而是上帝的理性智慧。 Therefore, the ultimate foundation of morality is not God's will, but God's rational intelligence.  Of course, this does not mean that Thomas Aquinas's ethics is just a rationalist-oriented ethics, a matter of fact, the will of God in Thomas Aquinas's rational thinking has a certain status, Thomas Aquinas shows that we should not of depend on the will of God as the only standard for morality, what he wants to specify is that the reason and the will of God are the basis of moral order (the final root causes). 倫理的根源或說道德價值的形上基礎（最後基礎）、最高的自有價值到底是什麼？不能是一種空無的理想而已，最後基礎、根源性的事物其價值與存在應該是合一的；對多瑪斯來說上帝是最高、最基礎性的存有（存有的根基），而人類的良知在倫理判斷上、人類意志在倫理實踐上趨向一個理想價值，我們的倫理判斷與倫理行為乃是由此一理想價值、最後While human conscience in the ethical judgments, the human will tend to practice in the ethical value of an ideal, our ethics and ethical behavior determines which one is the ideal value towards the ultimate end, thus, it must go to God as a final source. Now we start to discuss the relationship between law and ethics of Thomas Aquinas, aiming at understanding the final source is God, his law system is very systematic and clear. Liu Jinchang summarizes, [22] first, divine law, including eternal law and natural law, eternal law is the decree of God that governs all creation, natural law is the human “participation” in the eternal law and is discovered by reason, so natural law is based on first principle. Second, human law, which is a natural law applied by government in society. 討論律法時多瑪斯是從上主之神為法的永恆法開始，對於律法或法律，多瑪斯認為法律是人性行為的規則，由人類理性所認知，而且「上主從永遠就在人的本性裡」，所以，上主與人性的完成（達到法律與倫理的終極目的）有密切關連。 Thomas Aquinas starts discussion of the law from the eternal law; the law is the rules for natural human beings and is perceived by human reason, the law is existed naturally in human nature, Therefore, God and humanity are closely connected to complete the ultimate legal and ethical purposes. 宇宙規律的根源可以回溯到上帝此存有的最高基礎之上，我們從人類對自然法的領受多少可以體會；自然法、自然界的齊一律則讓人發現一種秩序、道德感，人間的各種實證法（positive law）之正義基礎不能忽略自然法，自然法介於人為法與永恆法之間，永恆法既為一切倫理最高原則，分享永恆法的自然法是人類本性的自然道德律We human beings can discover and experience the natural law, order, morality, human various empirical Law (positive law). Therefore, we should not overlook the natural law, for natural law is between man-made law and eternal law, eternal law is the supreme principle of ethics for all to share the eternal law. Human Acts and Act of man, Thomas Aquinas distinguishes human acts and acts of human clearly, human acts is acts are human if they are proper to man as man, they are freely chosen by man with the awareness of taking judgment between things. Thus, human acts are either good or evil; on the other hand, if acts are not proper to man and deviates from the quality of man as a rational being. It is therefore considered acts of human. These are acts that are elicited by man as an animal and not as rational person. [23] Thomas Aquinas insists a person is by his own reason and the will to become the master of his acts, and acts of free will is an act of humanity, it is Thomas Aquinas's important Ethics concept. 非人性的行為，像「人的行為」這類的就不屬於倫理學的研究範疇；人性的行為才是倫理學主要的研究對象。Well-known Western medieval philosopher E. Gilson in the "Christian philosophy of Thomas Aquinas Aquinas,"[24] the book that, he points to describe the six themes: love and passion, personal life, social life, religious life, the last end, and spirit of Thomism when he discussed the ethics of Thomas Aquinas. In the subsequent themes, I will briefly discuss several themes in order to know the entire construction of his ethics and applicable implication of implementation in certain areas. Conscience and Synderesis, in Thomas Aquinas philosophy these two subjects are in human acts realm. He emphasizes more conscience as a standard in human ethics. Conscience is ….an act..; knowledge (the first principles of practical reason: do good and avoid evil) applied to an individual situation….This is recognized from what is attributed to conscience.[25] Synderesis designates either simply a habit, or else the potency as developed in us by an innate habit.[26] 羅光指出多瑪斯主張：「良心是人心（理智）的一種警告，告訴人目前當行之善，或當避之惡」，但是良心雖然包含對自然天理此良知的認識能力，卻不是說人的良知能認識一切人世間的倫理規律；良知是廣義良Luo Guang pointed out that Thomas Aquinas's claim: "conscience is people's minds (reason) as a warning to tell people to do good and avoid evil", [27]but although conscience includes cognitive ability of knowing the first principle, but it does not say person's conscience will understand all the ethical laws of the human world. For human, 對人類而言，倫理的規範有三：神為律、人為律以及良心，故良心不是唯一、最後的規範，良心必須對應著永恆法、（啟示法）福音律、自然法以及人類社會的各種法律來斷定，但是當我們在行使倫理判斷之時，良心在該時段乃我們所應當服從的唯一規範。 ethical norms have three: for the law of God, man-made law and conscience, the conscience is not the only and final norms, so that conscience must correspond with the eternal law, (Revelation Law) Gospel law, natural law and human society law to determine, but when we judge the exercise of ethics, conscience is the only norm that we should obey. 基本上，良知猶如理性之火花，是倫理原則的大前提，人類都曉得要「行善避惡」，可是在對具體個別的倫理知識運用上或會出錯，錯誤的良心不是指良知本身出問題，而是因為我們人類的故意或疏忽所導致，所以，人需對自己的行為負責Basically, conscience just like the rational spark, is the premise of ethical principles, human knows that he must "do good avoid evil", but sometimes we make wrong of applying the knowledge in specific individual, the wrong conscience was not referring to the conscience itself has problem, but because we human beings caused by willful or negligent, thus, people need to held accountable for their actions. Ethics and society, 多瑪斯的社會哲學七百多年來一直是基督信仰思想史上重要的引導，特別對中世紀的社會思想影響深遠，E. Troeltsch在其名著《基督教社會思想史》裡頭，就花費相當的精力分析多瑪斯的倫理觀與社會哲學，氏指出多瑪斯的社會觀是理性化與基督化了的，整個社會的秩序服從在十誡、自然法的理性倫理與理性體系之內，但是又透過神恩超自然道德行為的引導，Troeltsch認為多瑪斯所建構的體系是十分邏輯的，「那完全基於神蹟力量和啟示的倫理體系，只能藉一種權威的神蹟和上帝的客觀行動，才可以維繫不墜。同樣顯然地，像這樣的一種權威必須依照嚴格的法律形式組成，要有極清楚地標揭神性威力的效用」。Thomas Aquinas's philosophy of society has more than 700 years history as a guide of Christian thinking, particularly influenced the social thinking of the middle Ages. Ernst Troeltsch in his classic " The social teaching of the Christian churches ",[28] he spent considerable energy analysis Thomas Aquinas's Ethics and social philosophy, he pointed out that Thomas Aquinas’s society's concept is rational and Christianization, whole society should obey the Ten Commandments, natural rational ethics and rational system, but it should be through God’s supernatural guidance of ethical conduct. Troeltsch think Thomas Aquinas’s systematic ethics is very logical; Society and ethics are connected under the premise of faith to constitute a huge system of organisms of patriarchal class.在多瑪斯的眼中，人是社會的（政治的）也是倫理的動物，而倫理的最後目的就是超自然的－享見上主；社會中有個人生活、家庭生活及城邦（國家）的政治生活，這些生活皆具有倫理的幅度，都應該是為了幫助我們達到超自然的目的： In the eyes of Thomas Aquinas, human beings are not only political animal but also ethical animal, and ethics of the final purpose is supernatural - seeing God; society has personal life, family life and political life, all these kinds’ lives are related with ethics in order to help us achieve the supernatural purpose. Personal life and friendship, Thomas Aquinas's Ethics openly stressed the friendship, which also showed his basic ideas that human is social beings, people need a real friendship. Thomas Aquinas thinks in this world there is only genuine friendship is the best things. Because the friendship can gather the virtuous people who are able to joint together, so friendship is a great source of pleasure, friendliness can make difficult things to become easy. on the value of friendship, Thomas had said a touching story: A tyrant has two friends, when the tyrant decided to kill one of them, this was condemned to death one requests a certain number of days of grace period in order to deal with home matter, another one, he voluntarily agreed to act as hostages to ensure that person under sentence of death scheduled to come back to torture. When time approaches to the prison term, but that person has not yet come back, people sneer at the folly of hostages, but he firmly believes that a reliable friend; when the execution really closes to the time, he really come back. So the tyrant appreciates their masculinity for their unshakable friendship, and rescinds that decision and requests them to accept him as a third party to the combination of their friendship. Thomas Aquinas pointed out, no matter how a tyrant would like to enjoy such a friendship, however, tyrant never can win this kind of enjoyment of friendship and happiness, because the tyrants are concerned about public well-being not only their own interests. Friendship is a precious priceless, is the peak performance of ethics. James schall wrote friendship is more important than justice, even in the city, the fact is that when he comes to discuss the highest of the Christian virtues, charity, he bases his discussion on friendship, not on justice. It may be the most important selection in all of social philosophy both by way of confirmation of Aristotle and by way of emphasizing something beyond him.[29] Family life, Thomas were seriously to discuss family life in his social thought, he discussed the significance of family and relations among the family members. 家庭是人所依靠歸屬的第一個社會，為確保個人生存及種的血統延續，但是家庭通常無法提供個人生存所需一切物質的條件，一般也無法將成員引導至道德的完善；所以更需要城邦或國家。People rely on the family is vested in the first society, in order to ensure personal survival and renewal of species of human origin, however families usually can not provide all material required for the individual to survive, and the conditions also can not generally guide family members to reach the moral perfection. Therefore human beings need city and state. 多瑪斯認為家庭若無子女則不完整，而家庭是始於婚姻，婚姻需是自願與永恆的結合，也需是一男一女的結合，婚姻具有不可侵犯的永恆性，婚姻中人有義務也有權利，婚姻是神聖的，其神聖性是透過了上主的恩寵使得愛流入夫妻的心靈之中，讓婚姻不失去其香氣，人在完美的婚姻裡頭才能有道德的發展，以及過崇高的精神生活。 Thomas Aquinas points out If there are no children in the family, we consider the family is incomplete; and the family began with the marriage; marriage is voluntary and eternal by one man and one woman, combined with the inviolability of marriage and the eternal nature of the obligation of human marriage; also marriage have the right, is sacred; and its sanctity is through the grace of God makes love flowing into the hearts of husband and wife, the marriage does not lose its aroma; only in the perfect marriage, it is possible to have moral development as well as the high spiritual life.  The purpose of country, in Summa theologiae, Thomas Aquinas pointed out that people are social and political animal, even in a state of innocence, mankind is living a social life. In pocket Aquinas says man is assisted by the civil group of which he is a member, not only in regard to bodily things like the many artifacts found in a civil community which a single household could not provide, but also in regard to moral matters.[30] 國家的存在是一種自然的組織，是為了促進大眾的福利，因此，國家在倫理方面的意義在於增進人民的善良合乎人性的生活，國家的法律若有不公平並造成人民重擔，這樣的法律就不是法律而是暴政了，這樣的法律與政治對良心就沒有約束力，違反正義、自然法的法律是不應該遵Country is a natural existence of organizations in order to promote the public welfare, therefore, in the country the significance of the ethical aspects of the people is to promote the good and humane life, if the law of the country is unfair, there will be the burden caused to its people, such law is not legal but the tyranny, such law and politics will lose its power to guide conscience of people, so that we cannot obey those against justice and natural law.當暴君濫用自己的權力地位時，可以合法地推翻他們。 When the tyrants abuse their positions of power, people can reverse them. Conclusion: Thomas Aquinas's Ethics basically subject to the Aristotle's ethical thought, besides this, although here we talk about philosophy itself, but Thomas’s thought is mixed with a great deal of Christian spirit and perspectives, particular in Ethics, and we can see whatever he judges and discuss a specific issue is based on the divine law and eternal law as a highest moral standard, therefore Thomas can boldly declare his opinion even reject the great well known Aristotle if Aristotle is contradicted with orthodox Christian spirituality, so his specificity is shown within these details. Probably we can say Thomas’s philosophical ethics is essentially combined by philosophy and theology. So, Aristotle never can reach Thomas’s ethics level. J. Maritain philosopher as well as historians of philosophy, Copleston have pointed out that Thomas Aquinas's ethics is in fact a kind of revelation and theological ethics; as Fr. Li Zhen said:[31] "As a Catholic philosopher ... He/she must combine the natural law and moral law with God and the absolute divine law together, so that human law and humanity can have a firm and unchangeable law as a cornerstone.” In addition, through the previous discussion, we may say Thomas Aquinas’s philosophical ethics must be inspired and improved by revelation. Maritain said the philosophy of ethics is clearly not enough to guide human beings. By the number of contemporary Christian philosopher's view, we can find Thomas Aquinas's ethics thinking 700 years ago, the structure and direction of Ethics is still clear to provide a guiding light for today's ethics, his so many ethics points are still applicable in discussing ethics issues today, for instance, on human sexual behavior, bioethics norms, homosexual, stem-cell skills, clone application technology, divorce, abortion, family planning, human rights, gender development, and so on. [1] Denis J.M. Bradley, Aquinas on the Twofold Human Good, Reason and Human Happiness in Aquinas’s Moral Science, The Catholic University of America Press, Washington, D.C, 1997, p. xi. [2] Liu Jinchang, Thomas Aquinas’s Theological Ethics, Accessed from http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~church/25.1/12.htm , Feb 12, 2009 [3] W. D. Ross, Aristotle, Beijin Commercial Press, 1997, p.206. [4] 苗力田，《尼各馬科倫理學》，中國人民大學印行 參《亞里斯多德之宜高邁倫理學》，譯者導言頁4。 (Miao Litian, translator, <>, Renmin University of China Press, Reference: Preface: P. 4. [5] Liu Jinchang, Thomas Aquinas’s Theological Ethics, Accessed from http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~church/25.1/12.htm , Feb 12, 2009 [6] 曾仰如，＜多瑪斯的倫理思想＞，參《多瑪斯論文集》，台北先知出版社，1975，頁255 (ceng Yangru, Thomas’s Ethics Thought, Reference: Thomas Memoir, Taipei Prophet Press, 1975, 255. [7] 柯布登(F. C. Copleston)，胡安德译，《多玛斯思想简介》，台南：闻道出版社，1974,頁262-263 (F. C. Copleston, Andrew hu, Translator, Introduction of Thomas Aquinas Thought, Tainan, Wendao Press, 1974, p.262-263. [8] Vernon J Bourke, The Pocket Aquinas (Selected from Summas of Theology and more than thirty other writings of St. Thomas), Published in 1960, Washington Square Press , p.191-192. [9] Alasdair Macintyre, A Short History of Ethics, NY: Collier Books, 1966, p.117-118. [10] Ibid, P. xii. [11] Liu Jinchang, Thomas Aquinas’s Theological Ethics, Accessed from http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~church/25.1/12.htm , Feb 12, 2009 [12] Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas, Benziger Bros. edition, 1947, Translated by fathers of the English Dominican Province. [13] Ibid, http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~church/25.1/12.htm , Feb 12, 2009 [14] Dr. Michael Anthony C. Vasco, UST professor of Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, 2009 [15] Mary T. Clark, An Aquinas Reader, edited with an Introduction and Five Sectional Essays, (from Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 91, a. 2) , Fordham University Press, New York, 2000, p. 303. [16] Etienne Gilson, The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, Random House, Inc., New York, 2nd Printing, 1956, p. 265 [17] Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Kenny translated, Summa Contra Gentiles, O.P., New York: Hanover House, 1955-57 [18] Theological virtue, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Accessed from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theological_virtues Feb 18, 2009 [19] Jacques. Maritain，《西洋道德哲学》，台北国立编译馆，1992，页126-130。(Moral Philosophy-A Historical and Critical Survey of the Great System, Taipei National Translation Press, p. 126-130) [20] Denis J.M. Bradley, Aquinas on the Twofold Human Good: Reason and Human Happiness in Aquinas’s Moral Science, The Catholic University of America Press, Washington, D.C, 1997, p.89. [21] Denis J.M Bradley, “Aristotelian Science and the Science of Thomistic Theology,” Heythrop Journal Volume 22 (1981): 162-171 [22] Ibid, Liu Jinchang, Thomas Aquinas’s Theological Ethics, Accessed from http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~church/25.1/12.htm , Feb 12, 2009 [23] Human acts =acts of humans? Feb 15, 2009 accessed from http://ethicsforteachers.blogspot.com/2008/04/human-acts-of-humans.html [24] Etienne Gilson, The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, Random House, Inc., New York, 2nd Printing, 1956, p. 271-357 [25] Mary T. Clark, An Aquinas Reader, edited with an Introduction and Five Sectional Essays, (from Summa Theologiae I, q. 79, a. 13) , Fordham University Press, New York, 2000, p. 324-325. [26] Vernon J Bourke, The Pocket Aquinas (Selected from Summas of Theology and more than thirty other writings of St. Thomas), Published in 1960, Washington Square Press , p.199. [27]罗光，《实践哲学》，台湾学生书局，1979，包页241。（Luo Guang, Practical Philosophy, Taiwan Student Press, p.241. [28] Ernst Troeltsch, The social teaching of the Christian churches, Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992. p. 201-207 [29] James V. Schall, The Uniqueness of the Political Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, Journal article, Perspectives on Political Science, Vol. 26, 1997. 7. p.4 [30] Vernon J Bourke, The Pocket Aquinas (Selected from Summas of Theology and more than thirty other writings of St. Thomas), Published in 1960, Washington Square Press , p.232. [31] Li Zhen, Human and God (Volume 4), Fu Jen Catholic University Press, 1994, p.209