Perennial Wisdom Ep. 255: The Saint's Guide to Happiness | Perennial Wisdom
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Dec 9, 2025 Discover the surprising vision of happiness from 13th-century philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas. Learn why traditional pursuits like wealth and power fall short in satisfying our deepest desires. Explore how virtue isn't mere moralism but a reordering of desires towards the divine. Delve into the contrast between frantic achievement and the peace of contemplative knowing, revealing that true happiness is rooted in truth. Finally, understand how aligning with virtue leads to a serene and joyful life.
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Aquinas Saw Modern Malaise
- J.W. Bertolotti recounts Aquinas noticing modern patterns centuries ago: suffering stems from misdirected desire, not pain.
- Aquinas reframes happiness as the final end of life, not a mood or fleeting pleasure.
Why Finite Things Fail
- Finite goods (money, honor, power, pleasure) can't be final happiness because they always point beyond themselves.
- Aquinas argues happiness must completely satisfy desire, so created things fail to be the last end.
Desire Seeks The Infinite
- Human desire is ordered toward an infinite end, so we err by choosing finite means.
- Aquinas claims final happiness consists in the vision of the divine essence, where intellect and will find rest.
