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Summa Theologiae · I-II, q. 18

Question 18. Of the Good and Evil of Human Acts, in General

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part of the Second Part. 11 articles.

Read in the reading room → This question at New Advent

Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #17897, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The First Part of the Second Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We must now consider the good and evil of human acts. First, how a human act is good or evil; secondly, what results from the good or evil of a human act, as merit or demerit, sin and guilt.

Under the first head there will be a threefold consideration: the first will be of the good and evil of human acts, in general; the second, of the good and evil of internal acts; the third, of the good and evil of external acts.

Concerning the first there are eleven points of inquiry:

(1) Whether every human action is good, or are there evil actions?

(2) Whether the good or evil of a human action is derived from its object?

(3) Whether it is derived from a circumstance?

(4) Whether it is derived from the end?

(5) Whether a human action is good or evil in its species?

(6) Whether an action has the species of good or evil from its end?

(7) Whether the species derived from the end is contained under the species derived from the object, as under its genus, or conversely?

(8) Whether any action is indifferent in its species?

(9) Whether an individual action can be indifferent?

(10) Whether a circumstance places a moral action in the species of good or evil?

(11) Whether every circumstance that makes an action better or worse, places the moral action in the species of good or evil?

Articles

  1. Whether Every Human Action Is Good, or Are There Evil Actions?
  2. Whether the Good or Evil of a Man's Action Is Derived from Its Object?
  3. Whether Man's Action Is Good or Evil from a Circumstance?
  4. Whether a Human Action Is Good or Evil from Its End?
  5. Whether a Human Action Is Good or Evil in Its Species?
  6. Whether an Action Has the Species of Good or Evil from Its End?
  7. Whether the Species Derived from the End Is Contained Under the Species Derived from the Object, As Under Its Genus, or Conversely?
  8. Whether Any Action Is Indifferent in Its Species?
  9. Whether an Individual Action Can Be Indifferent?
  10. Whether a Circumstance Places a Moral Action in the Species of Good or Evil?
  11. Whether Every Circumstance That Makes an Action Better or Worse, Places a Moral Action in a Species of Good or Evil?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part. Project Gutenberg #17897. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.