Can I Actually Be Fulfilled? Ancient Insights Into Human Good | Prof. Candace Vogler
Aug 30, 2024
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Candace Vogler, a philosophy professor at the University of Chicago, delves into the quest for fulfillment through ancient wisdom. She explores the highest good in ethics, contrasting views of Mill, Kant, and Aquinas. Vogler highlights Aquinas' insights on beatitude, the differences between earthly happiness and divine fulfillment, and critiques contemporary moral thought's disconnect from classical philosophy. She also discusses the interplay of self-love and practical reason in Kantian ethics, illuminating how these ideas shape our understanding of happiness and moral action.
The podcast highlights the contrasting views on the highest good, emphasizing Aquinas's connection to divine fulfillment over modern moral interpretations.
It explores the persistent philosophical puzzle of striving for the highest good, as illustrated by Mill and Kant's insights on happiness and virtue.
Deep dives
The Concept of the Highest Good in Philosophy
The discussion delves into the historical significance of the highest good in philosophical discourse, contrasting contemporary indifference with the emphasis placed on it in ancient and early modern thought. Classical philosophers recognized the highest good as foundational to ethics and political philosophy, where it served as a guiding principle in understanding right actions and moral obligations. Notably, figures like St. Thomas Aquinas bring a distinct perspective, where the highest good is intimately connected to the divine, which differs from modern interpretations that often center around moral actions devoid of broader metaphysical concerns. The recognition that many influential philosophers have claimed the unattainability of the highest good during one's lifetime introduces a persistent philosophical puzzle regarding its pursuit and realization.
Insights from Mill and Kant on the Highest Good
John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant, both significant figures in the discussion of the highest good, each provide insights into its pursuit despite acknowledging its unattainability in life. Mill proposes that the highest good can manifest as the greatest happiness for the majority and insists that achieving this vision necessitates societal reforms and political changes. In contrast, Kant integrates the highest good with morality, arguing that happiness should be proportionate to virtue, thus creating a complex relationship between the two concepts. Both thinkers recognize the challenge of aspiring towards the highest good without a tangible experience of its fulfillment, prompting a reflection on the necessity of striving for the good despite its elusive nature.
Aquinas's Perspective on the Highest Good
In sharp contrast to Mill and Kant, St. Thomas Aquinas posits that the highest good is found in God, suggesting that true happiness consists of attaining a perfect union with the divine. Aquinas outlines that human beings can experience a form of flourishing in life, yet the ultimate beatitude is realized only through divine grace and communion with God. This theological perspective emphasizes that while human efforts are insufficient to achieve complete happiness, faith offers a pathway towards understanding and orienting oneself to the divine. Aquinas's articulation of the highest good is rendered clearer and more structured through the lens of salvation history and the significance of Christ’s incarnation.
The Role of God in Understanding the Highest Good
Kant's philosophy introduces the notion of practical postulates, which include the existence of God as a necessary condition for the possibility of the highest good, positioning God as an incomprehensible yet essential aspect of practical reasoning. This creates a foundation where moral agents operate under the assumption of a divine being that ultimately makes the realization of the highest good intelligible, despite their own limitations. Aquinas, however, presents a more relational view of God, where divine providence and grace actively facilitate the possibility of reaching the highest good. In this way, the theological dimensions of Aquinas's thought offer a richer understanding of the highest good that combines human striving with divine assistance, illustrating a path towards eternal fulfillment through participation in the divine life.
Professor Candace Vogler explores the concept of the highest good in philosophy, comparing views from John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, and Thomas Aquinas, and examining how humans can orient themselves towards this ultimate goal.
This lecture was given on April 8th, 2024, at University of Rochester.
Candace Vogler is the David B. and Clare E. Stern Professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago. Her primary area of research is moral philosophy, with special emphasis on virtue and practical reason. She draws extensively from work by G. E. M. ('Elizabeth') Anscombe, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant, and sometimes she teaches work by John Stuart Mill. She also works on psychoanalysis (primarily Freudian work and the work of Jacques Lacan), and at the intersections of philosophy and literature and philosophy and film. Vogler is interested in questions about the highest good, about sin, and about moral self-improvement.
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