On the contrary, Augustine says (De Civ.  Dei xix, 26):  “As the soul is the life of the body, so God is man’s life of happiness:  of Whom it is written:  ‘Happy is that people whose God is the Lord’ (Ps. 143:15).”

I answer that, It is impossible for any created good to constitute man’s happiness.  For happiness is the perfect good, which lulls the appetite altogether; else it would not be the last end, if something yet remained to be desired.  Now the object of the will, i.e. of man’s appetite, is the universal good; just as the object of the intellect is the universal true.  Hence it is evident that naught can lull man’s will, save the universal good.  This is to be found, not in any creature, but in God alone; because every creature has goodness by participation.  Wherefore God alone can satisfy the will of man, according to the words of Ps. 102:5:  “Who satisfieth thy desire with good things.”  Therefore God alone constitutes man’s happiness.

Reply Obj. 1:  The summit of man does indeed touch the base of the angelic nature, by a kind of likeness; but man does not rest there as in his last end, but reaches out to the universal fount itself of good, which is the common object of happiness of all the blessed, as being the infinite and perfect good.

Reply Obj. 2:  If a whole be not the last end, but ordained to a further end, then the last end of a part thereof is not the whole itself, but something else.  Now the universe of creatures, to which man is compared as part to whole, is not the last end, but is ordained to God, as to its last end.  Therefore the last end of man is not the good of the universe, but God himself.

Reply Obj. 3:  Created good is not less than that good of which man is capable, as of something intrinsic and inherent to him:  but it is less than the good of which he is capable, as of an object, and which is infinite.  And the participated good which is in an angel, and in the whole universe, is a finite and restricted good. ________________________

QUESTION 3

WHAT IS HAPPINESS
(In Eight Articles)

We have now to consider (1) what happiness is, and (2) what things are required for it.

Concerning the first there are eight points of inquiry: 

(1) Whether happiness is something uncreated?

(2) If it be something created, whether it is an operation?

(3) Whether it is an operation of the sensitive, or only of the intellectual part?

(4) If it be an operation of the intellectual part, whether it is an operation of the intellect, or of the will?

(5) If it be an operation of the intellect, whether it is an operation of the speculative or of the practical intellect?

(6) If it be an operation of the speculative intellect, whether it consists in the consideration of speculative sciences?

(7) Whether it consists in the consideration of separate substances viz. angels?