Utrum fruendum sit solo Deo: Thomas Aquinas on the Augustinian concept of Secular Enjoyment

Abstract

The paper presents the hypothesis that Thomas Aquinas’s concept of ‘secular pleasure’ has been elaborated under the influence of both St. Augustine (De doctrina christiana) and Aristotle (NE book II and book IV). The paper aims at presenting their influences upon Aquinas’s account of secular pleasure. Also, it intends to focus on Aquinas’s metaphysical and psychological concept of secular pleasure and attempts to introduce his moral assessment of it. It should be also noted that only natural perspective of pleasure will be treated; the theological aspect is excluded from the consideration.