Moral Aspects of Imaginative Art in Thomas Aquinas

Bibliographic Data

ID3287657
AuthorsPiotr Roszak (0000-0002-2723-2667, Nicolaus Copernicus University, corresponding author), John Anthony Berry (0000-0003-0896-6697, University of Malta)
Year2021
Volume12
Issue5
Pages322
Publication date2021-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel12050322
OpenAlexW3157996375
LanguageEN
References cited23

For Thomas Aquinas, the imagination, being one of the "inner senses", is a doorway to attain true knowledge. In this paper, we first analyze his lexicon in this regard (imaginatio and phantasia). Second, we discuss imagination as the subject matter of the intellectual virtues, which facilitate cognition and judgment. The development of imagination is the foundation of his vision of education not only on the natural but also on the supernatural level. Third, we explore Aquinas' moral assessment of imaginative art and finally its influence on shaping the character. This influence occurs on two levels: it is assessed from the perspective of charity, justice, prudence and purity, namely to what extent the art serves these values, whereas the second criterion is beauty

Aesthetics · Art · Beauty · Economic Justice · Epistemology · Lexicon · Linguistics · Moral character · Prudence · Sociology · Visual arts · Ethics, Aesthetics, and Art · Law · Medieval Philosophy and Theology · Philosophy · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment

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