Thomistic vision of the meaning of the will in its love of the good

Abstract

This study treats of the dynamic of the will which, as a spiritual faculty together with the intelligence, exists in a relationship with being; in its particular case, with being as goodness. Ontologically, this tendency is called natural love. In the ethical sphere, a love of choice is demanded, opening the theme of human liberty and its role in the meaning of human existence. In the Thomistic synthesis, it becomes clear that, although man is primarily a cognitive being, he cannot truly know himself without giving adequate significance to his volitive capacity It also becomes clear that the role of the will in human action cannot be understood without seeing its relation to its roots in being. Love of the good emerges as the identifying factor of the will in both ontology and ethics.

Keywords

• Will
• love
• good
• ontology
• ethics