Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T01:44:39.674Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

6 - The Conditions for the End of Virtue Simpliciter

from Part II - The Conditions of Virtue Simpliciter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

Justin M. Anderson
Affiliation:
Seton Hall University, New Jersey
Get access

Summary

Seeking to understand the necessary conditions of grace for virtue simpliciter, we have demonstrated that such virtue both begins and continues only through the supernatural grace of God. Not only that, but as his thought matures Thomas Aquinas comes to recognize that the human agent can, in virtue simpliciter’s beginning and continuance, do little to guarantee her obtaining and perseverance in that grace. Principally, the life of grace that founds and helps continue that life of virtue simpliciter lies locked within God’s providential wisdom. The agent’s choices, even perfectly virtuous choices, are only secondary, in terms of efficacious causality. At best, the human agent is able to cooperate with what God has begun and continues of God’s own gratuitous initiative. Having considered the beginning and continuance of virtue simpliciter’s necessary conditions, we consider the conditions pertaining to its end.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×