The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
Knowing Right, Doing Wrong
Aquinas Lesson for June 24, 1998
Knowing what is right and doing it are two different things. It’s unfortunate, but true.
This is the great limitation of Thomistic moral philosophy or any moral philosophy for that matter. Once a set of rules is established and understood, there is no guarantee good morality will follow.
Aquinas refers to moral philosophy as an intellectual virtue, but he says this is no good without a moral virtue – prudence.
"Prudence is right reason about things to be done, not only in general, however, but also in particular [or in practice], since actions are particular." (Summa Theologica)
Think about this. The best way to stay healthy is to eat right (fruits, vegetables, lean meat) and to exercise. We KNOW this, but it’s hard (at least for some of us).
The same goes for morality. We can know what is right but actually doing that is often hard.
Here’s a tip! Whether it be your golf game, your tennis serve, or doing what is right, it gets easier if you practice, practice, practice.
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
