Taking Nature Graciously

When speaking of the odd behavior of a particular individual, it is common for people to say something like, “Well, I am just made that way,” or, “He can't help it; that's the way he is.” On the other hand, when considering future vistas for action, some suppose that that, everything in life can be a matter of choice, that we can choose our own gender, ethnicity, or identity. It seems to me that there are theological parallels to these anthropological positions. First, similar to mechanical determinism, some believe in a determined mechanism of sin that destroys human nature and makes free choice an illusion. Second, similar to views that human fulfillment is simply a matter of exercising our will, some argue that graced happiness is merely an extension of nature. To all of these positions, Aquinas has a response

Action (physics) · Aesthetics · Cognitive psychology · Determinism · Epistemology · Extension (predicate logic) · Free will · Happiness · Identity (music) · Illusion · Parallels · Perspective (graphical) · Physics · Sociology · Computer Science · Mathematics · Medieval Philosophy and Theology · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics · Social Psychology · Theology and Philosophy of Evil

• The Acting Person

  Open Access•Karol Wojtyla•The Acting Person•1979

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• Matter and consciousness

  Open Access•Herbert F Crovitz•Behavioural Processes•1985

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• The Oxford Handbook of Aquinas

  Eleonore Stump, Brian Davies•The Oxford handbook of Aquinas•2012

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• Nietzsche's French legacy

  Open Access•Alan D Schrift•The Cambridge companion to…•1996

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• The Question of Habit in Theology and Philosophy

  Open Access•Clare Carlisle•Body & Society•2013

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