Saturday, October 03, 2009

1a 2ae q4 a4: Whether rectitude of the will is necessary for happiness? Yes.

Rectitudo voluntatis requiritur ad beatitudinem et antecedenter et concomitanter: antecedenter quidem, quia rectitudo voluntatis est per debitum ordinem ad finem ultimum; concomitanter autem, quia, sicut dictum est, beatitudo ultima consistit in visione divinae essentiae, quae est ipsa essentia bonitatis.

Rectitude of will is necessary for Happiness both antecedently and concomitantly: antecedently, because rectitude of the will consists in being duly ordered to the last end; concomitantly, because as stated above (q3, a8), final Happiness consists in the vision of the Divine Essence, Which is the very essence of goodness.

Nihil consequitur finem, nisi sit debito modo ordinatum ad ipsum. Et ideo nullus potest ad beatitudinem pervenire, nisi habeat rectitudinem voluntatis.

Nothing gains an end, except it be duly ordained thereto. And therefore none can obtain Happiness, without rectitude of the will.

Omnis actus voluntatis praeceditur ab aliquo actu intellectus, aliquis tamen actus voluntatis est prior quam aliquis actus intellectus. Voluntas enim tendit in finalem actum intellectus, qui est beatitudo. Et ideo recta inclinatio voluntatis praeexigitur ad beatitudinem, sicut rectus motus sagittae ad percussionem signi.

Every act of the will is preceded by an act of the intellect, but a certain act of the will precedes a certain act of the intellect. For the will tends to the final act of the intellect which is happiness. And consequently right inclination of the will is required antecedently for happiness, just as the arrow must take a right course in order to strike the target.

Non omne quod ordinatur ad finem, cessat adveniente fine, sed id tantum quod se habet in ratione imperfectionis, ut motus. Unde instrumenta motus non sunt necessaria postquam pervenitur ad finem, sed debitus ordo ad finem est necessarius.

Not everything that is ordained to the end, ceases with the getting of the end, but only that which has the formal aspect of imperfection, such as movement. Hence the instruments of movement are no longer necessary when the end has been gained, but the due order to the end is necessary.

Et ita voluntas videntis Dei essentiam, ex necessitate amat quidquid amat, sub ordine ad Deum; sicut voluntas non videntis Dei essentiam, ex necessitate amat quidquid amat, sub communi ratione boni quam novit. Et hoc ipsum est quod facit voluntatem rectam. Unde manifestum est quod beatitudo non potest esse sine recta voluntate.

So that the will of him who sees the Essence of God, of necessity, loves, whatever he loves, in subordination to God; just as the will of him who sees not God's Essence, of necessity, loves whatever he loves, under the common formal aspect of good which he knows. And this is precisely what makes the will right. Wherefore it is evident that Happiness cannot be without a right will.