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Summa contra Gentiles3.32 Chapter XXXII. That happiness consists not in goods of the body

St Thomas Aquinas († 1274) · Summa contra Gentiles (Liber de veritate catholicae fidei contra errores infidelium) · c. 1259-1265

Chapter XXXII. That happiness consists not in goods of the body

Like arguments avail to prove that man’s supreme good does not consist in goods of the body, such as health, beauty and strength. For they are common to good and evil: and are unstable: and are not subject to the will.

Besides. The soul is better than the body, which neither lives, nor possesses these goods, without the soul. Wherefore the soul’s good, such as understanding and the like, is better than the body’s good. Therefore the body’s good is not man’s supreme good.

Again. These goods are common to man and other animals: whereas happiness is a good propertoman. Therefore man’s happiness does not consist in the things mentioned. Moreover. Many animals surpass man in goods of the body: for some are fleeter than he, some more sturdy, and soon. Accordingly, ifman’s supreme good consisted in these things, man would not excel all animals: which is clearly untrue. Therefore human happiness does not consist in goods of the body.

the English Dominican Fathers (Laurence Shapcote, O.P.) (1864–1947), London: Burns Oates & Washbourne: First Book 1924, Second Book 1923, Third Book 1928 (Fourth Book, 1929, not included). Digital text: OCR of Internet Archive scans, corrected: Book I summacontragenti01thomuoft; Book II chapter by chapter from the cleaner of summacontragenti02thomuoft and summacontragenti0002unse; Book III part I summacontragenti0000lond; Book III part II summacontragenti0000unse_l9e4. Public domain in the US and Canada: published in London 1923-1928 (before 1931); translator Laurence Shapcote died 1947. The Latin is not included.

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