Verdad, bien y virtud. Un análisis antropológico de la virtud en el conocimiento humano según Santo Tomás de Aquino

Zusammenfassung

The definition of truth in the thought of Saint Thomas implies an understanding and structuring of elements that reveal a possible connection between epistemology and morality. In this regard we can say that the definition of truth for Aquinas encompasses three aspects that can be extracted from the notion of adaequatio, namely, the cognitive, manifestive and teleological aspects. From here, then, a complementary relationship between virtues arises from the epistemological notions mensura and adaequatio, notions that in fact redirect the truth from the epistemological plane to the moral plane of virtue (status virtus). In this way, the relationship between virtues opens the way in understanding their mutual interaction from the concept of interhabituality proposed in this work. Interhabituality is understood from two levels: the first level of interhabituality has to do with the genesis or origin of virtues (semina virtutum). This first interhabitual relationship is based on three virtues: the intellectus, synderesis and prudence. The latter acts as a bridge between virtues because the notion of mensura is fully realized in it. From here, the way is opened to a second level of interhabituality, the one that concerns the use (usus) of the act of virtue. For Aquinas, the proper use of the act of intellectual virtue depends on moral virtue and leaves open the question of what virtues intervene. Hence, three synergistic virtues are proposed in this work for this purpose: Prudence, the studiositas and veracity.