Of God and His Creatures
That the Final Happiness of Man consists in the Contemplation of
God
IF then the final happiness of man does not consist in those exterior
advantages which are called goods of fortune, nor in goods of the body,
nor in goods of the soul in its sentient part, nor in the intellectual
part in respect of the moral virtues, nor in the virtues of the
practical intellect, called art and prudence, it remains that the final
happiness of man consists in the contemplation of truth. This act alone
in man is proper to him, and is in no way shared by any other being in
this world. This is sought for its own sake, and is directed to no
other end beyond itself. By this act man is united in likeness with
pure spirits, and even comes to know them in a certain way. For this
act also man is more self-sufficient, having less need of external
things.* Likewise to this act all other human
activities seem to be directed as to their end. For to the perfection
of contemplation there is requisite health of body;* and all artificial necessaries of life are
means to health. Another requisite is rest from the disturbing forces
of passion: that is attained by means of the moral virtues and
prudence. Likewise rest from exterior troubles, which is the whole aim
of civil life and government. Thus, if we look at things rightly, we may
see that all human occupations seem to be ministerial to the service of
the contemplators of truth.*
Now it is impossible for human happiness to consist in that
contemplation which is by intuition of first principles, -- a very
imperfect study of things, as being the most general, and not amounting
to more than a potential knowledge: it is in fact not the end but the
beginning of human study: it is supplied to us by nature, and not by
any close investigation of truth. Nor can happiness consist in the
sciences, the object-matter of which is the meanest things, whereas
happiness should be an activity of intellect dealing with the noblest
objects of intelligence. Therefore the conclusion remains that the
final happiness of man consists in contemplation guided by wisdom to
the study of the things of God. Thus we have reached by way of
induction the same conclusion that was formerly established by
deductive reasoning,* that the final
happiness of man does not consist in anything short of the
contemplation of God.
3.34 : That the Final Happiness of Man does not consist in Acts of the Moral Virtues
3.38 : That Human Happiness does not consist in such Knowledge of God as is common to the Majority of Mankind