WHAT IS

FREEDOM?
Accdg. To St. Thomas
Aquinas

LOVE IS FREEDOM.
FREEDOM AS A
HUMAN PERSON

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

-he considers human beings as a moral

agent.
• Humans are both the
spiritual and body
elements; the spiritual
and material.
• The unity between
both elements indeed
helps us to understand
our complexity as a
human beings.
• Through spirituality
we have conscience:
Whether we choose
to be "good" or "evil"
becomes our
responsibility.
• A human being
therefore has a
supernatural,
transcendental destiny.
•This is in line with the
idea of St. Thomas
Aquinas that in the plan
of God, a human being
has to develop and
perfect himself by doing
his daily task
• The power of change,
however, cannot be
done by human beings
alone, but is achieved
through cooperation
with God.
• Between humanity
and god, there is an
infinite gap which God
alone can bridge
through his power.
•Aquinas gives a
fourfold classification of
law.

-Eternal law
-Natural Law
- human law
-divine law
•Eternal Law is decree
of God that governs all
creation.

• Natural Law is the

human participation in
the eternal law and is
discovered by reason.
• For Aristotle, the
purpose of a human
being is to be happy.

• For St. Thomas, he

follows the same line
but points to the higher
form of happiness
•St. Thomas chose and
proposed love rather
than law to bring about
the transformation of
humanity
•St. Thomas Aquinas:
Spiritual Freedom