Man's Happiness: Aquinas Edition

In order to truly understand God or at least come as close as we can get to understanding God is through contemplation. This would be the highest good because reason is something that man does not share with any other creatures on this earth. God granted us this ability so that we may be able to always connect with him and be able to gain his presence in our lives when we devote our time in seeking him. Whether we refer to contemplation as reason and/or intellect, it will always serve as our highest and our most “noble honor (pg.272).” Our highest good that we can achieve and our noble honor grants us the ability to connect with God, the highest being. It makes sense to think about everything that has a high purpose (for humans) connects us to the highest being which is God. “Moreover, man’s highest perfection cannot lie in that which links him with lesser things [such as pain and pleasure], but rather in what links him to some higher thing, for the end is better than which is for the sake of the end (pg. 272).”  The end ultimately lies within God which is the where our happiness truly lives. Contemplation of God and reasoning in all its glory helps us to not seek happiness in sensible pleasures. Things that are intelligible are better than sensible because sensible pleasure refers to pleasures that appeal to our five senses. Furthermore, “man’s ultimate end and his happiness lie in his most perfect activity... (pg. 274).” As we contemplate God and come to some understanding of his Being, then we would find our true happiness. This happiness, according to Thomas Aquinas, is our ultimate happiness. Thomas Aquinas believes that “man’s ultimate happiness lies in the contemplation of truth (pg.280).” This “contemplation of truth” is our understanding of God (pg. 280). In other words, our reflection on life and our reasoning behind what we do will bring us into deliverance of knowing God because truth and reasoning is man’s highest purpose, and our highest purpose serves as a router in our search in gaining knowledge of and seeking God.