RT Article
T1 The Role of Non-Human Exemplars in Aquinas
JF New blackfriars
VO 99
IS 1081
SP 332
OP 345
A1 Willows, Adam M.
LA English
PB Wiley-Blackwell
YR 2018
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1780358083
AB In this paper I discuss the role of non-humans in Aquinas’ account of moral learning. I intend to show that the entire created order can play an important role in demonstrating to us the life of virtue, and argue that non-human exemplars offer important advantages to the moral learner. I begin by addressing apparent problems with this approach, founded on the observation that human virtue, for Aquinas, is unique to humans. I resolve these by showing that Aquinas’ approach to exemplars is fundamentally analogical, meaning that exemplars point beyond themselves and need not necessarily live the good life to which they direct learners. I show that this means that Aquinas can use non-humans as moral exemplars and offer examples of him doing just that. Finally, I offer an assessment of the benefits of this approach. Among other things, it offers ethicists new ways to focus on particular virtues and provides a plausible way to include non-humans in the moral realm.
K1 Human
K1 Creation
K1 Good
K1 Moral
K1 Analogy
K1 Exemplar
K1 Animal
K1 Aquinas
DO 10.1111/nbfr.12274