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The Purpose of Mans Existenceand the Choice for the Good

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All Mans acts must be for an end

Human acts proceed from a deliberate

willEvery agent acts for an end

The principle in the intention is the last

end

All have the same last endThe last end is called happiness I.II.3.1

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Three elements of the Free Act Advertence

Voluntary-Elicited or Commanded

Free-the result of free choice

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Indirect EffectAct which produces the effect is not itself

an evil actAgood effect issues from the act at least

as immediately as the evil effectThe good must not arise from the evil

effectThe agent must have a morally justifying

reason for action, commensurate with theevil effect

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Power or capacity

Intellect-Formal Cause

I-II, 9, a.1-The good generally is theobject

Truth-The will always wants what the

intellect identifies as good Whatever befits our nature

The ultimate end

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Practical Reason

Moving the Will

Judgments about the Good

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Choice follows judgment

Counsel is presupposed by choice

What do I have to do in order to bring aboutsuch and such a good?

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Directing the movement of appetite on

something within the power of one doing

the directing Desiring things which lead to the end Consent and choice are different when there are

more than one means

Use, I-II, q. 16, a. 1. Refers to the wills moving the powers that

execute the act

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Patristic and Medieval authors taught that

infused virtues brought about a

transformation in the personVirtues neglected

Habitus-state of character

Habitus and kenosis

Habitus development

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Virtue-good operative habitus

CCC-a habitual and firm disposition to

do the goodThree features of action under habitus

Promptness or readiness to act

Ease or facility in performance of the action

Joy or satisfaction while doing it

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Overcoming indeterminancy

Does not eliminate struggle Sense nature

Higher nature

Habitus of the higher nature refers to the

life of grace for the theologian

Infused moral virtues and theological virtues The acquired virtues are related to the broader

perspective of Christian doctrine

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Augustine-virtue is a good quality of the

mind by which one lives righteously, of

which no one can make bad use, whichGod works within us without us.

Habitus inferred from good quality of

mind

Christian virtue compared to artSubstance and faculties of the soul