Shield of Thomistic Theology - On Beatitude, Human Acts and their Morality, the Virtues and Gifts, Vices and Sins, Laws, and Probabilism, Volume III - Jean Baptiste Gonet

This third volume of Gonet’s Shield of Thomistic Theology turns to moral philosophy and philosophical psychology within the Thomistic tradition, focusing on human action and the ultimate end of human life. It follows the framework of Thomas Aquinas, presenting a structured account of how rational beings act, choose, and ultimately attain their perfection.

The work begins with an analysis of human acts, examining the role of intellect and will in moral decision-making, as well as the conditions required for moral responsibility. It then moves to the question of happiness, understood as the final end of human life, and argues that true beatitude cannot be found in finite goods but only in the vision of God as the highest good.

Gonet also addresses the nature of virtues, passions, and moral habits, showing how they order human action toward rational and supernatural fulfillment. Throughout, he maintains a rigorous scholastic method, carefully distinguishing between different levels of causality and moral agency.

This volume provides a systematic Thomistic account of human life as ordered toward its ultimate perfection, uniting philosophical ethics with theological anthropology.