An in-depth presentation of the issues is contained in this
PowerPoint Presentation.
The PowerPoint Presentation also discusses the ethical systems used in each of
the philosophies.
Thomism
Painting of St. Thomas Aquinas. From
Smom-za.org
The philosophical system based on the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
The ethics of Thomas are called virtue ethics
because they have their basis in virtue, which is seemingly contradictory
because the fundamental core of his ethics is not the virtues but the good --
How ought a person to act for the good?
-According to Thomas, all actions are
directed toward the good, since it is the nature of every man
-Eudaemonistic
-The good (i.e. that which is
desired) is primary and the ultimate goal/happiness is Heaven
On the Nature of Happiness (His ethics)
-Imperfect happiness can be acquired
by man through his natural powers
-Perfect happiness only acquired
though contemplation of God
--This cannot be done by man with his natural powers, but only with final
perfection in Heaven
-Happiness is to do the good act
(i.e. virtues) and act toward the final end (i.e. returning to God)
Deal W. Hudson on Aquinas in his 1996 book
Happiness and the Limits of Satisfaction, "Happiness and Pain"
Christ's beatitude, as depicted by Aquinas, can be seen as nothing less
than the supreme
analogue for the earthly happiness available to the faithful. As such, it
represents a significant
shift in the eudaemonistic tradition toward the relationship of happiness to
pain. No longer
need suffering be avoided in the pursuit of happiness--it can be considered
integral to that
happiness. This is a happiness that includes pain because it is an
expected result of the task
to be completed. ... Human happiness, as an imitation of Christ, does not reside
above the
crush of the world, but requires a choice of suffering in a manner specified by
his example.
Hudson further discusses the relationship of
Thomism to suffering and pain when he writes,
Even though pleasure and pain are opposite in genus and species, they can be
harmonious
if found to be related through the same disposition to opposite objects.
We can simultaneously
rejoice over goodness and sorrow over evil if they are viewed under different
formalities.
...Aquinas thus widens the scope of a happy life to include not only pleasure
and joy, but a
specific range of suffering as well.
Objectivism
Objectivism is the philosophical system devised by Ayn Rand and based off of her writings, such as Atlas Shrugged and The Virtue of Selfishness.
Objectivism denies the existence of a reality
beyond this one; thus, religion, for Objectivists, is a delusion of the senses
of man. Objectivism finds the life to be the only phenomenon that is an
end in itself:
Metaphysically, life is the only phenomenon that is an end in itself:
a value gained and kept by a constant
process of action. Epistemologically, the concept of 'value' is
genetically dependent upon and derived
from teh antecedent concept of 'life.' To speak of 'value' as apart from
'life' is worse than a contradiction
in terms. 'It is only the concept of 'Life' that makes the concept of
'Value' possible.
The Objectivist approach to pain/suffering and
pleasure:
By what means does he first become aware of the issue of 'good or evil' in its
simplest form? By means
of the physical sensations of pleasure or pain. ... The capacity to experience
pleasure or pain is innate in
a man's body; it is part of his nature, part of the kind of entity he is. ...
The pleasure-pain mechanism in
the body of man...serves as an automatic guardian of the organism's life. ... To
live for his own sake means
that the achievement of his own happiness is man's highest secret moral purpose.
"To hold one's own life as one's ultimate value, and one's own happiness as one's highest purpose are two aspects of the same achievement."
The above quotations were all taken from Ayn Rand's 1961 book The Virtue of Selfishness, which was her ethical work. Thus, all quotations above concern her ethical system, especially in regard to suffering and pain.
Further Study
If you are interested in continuing to read on Thomism, an excellent article exists here.
If you are interested in continuing to read about Objectivism, click here or here.
If you are interested in knowing more about Bentham's Hedonistic Calculus, click here.
"This site was created for an honors course at Monmouth College by students."
