MARIA ISABEL GONÇALVES DE SOUZA NOGUEIRA DA SILVA

All human beings naturally seek the ultimate end, which is the object of happiness. The end is what is suitable for nature. It would be expected that all human individuals would seek the ultimate end in the same way, since their nature disposes them to do so. However, “not all men agree on the ultimate end” (ST I-II, q. 1, a. 7, in c). What explains that all men are equal in the natural desire for the ultimate end, whereas diversify both in terms of what they seek as the ultimate end? Our hypothesis is that the answer to the question of the diversity of men in the pursuit of happiness refers to two notions: human nature and human person. Therefore, our research will be divided into three parts. The first will address the ultimate end and happiness in three texts. The second part will be an exposition of Aquinas’s doctrine regarding free human actions. The third part will consist of analyzing Aquinas's texts regarding human nature and the notion of the person.