How Thomas Aquinas’ understanding of happiness could reform modern education.

Harvard historian Christopher Dawson suggested over half a century ago that the greatest challenge for Western civilisation is reforming its education systems so that it could withstand “the disintegrating and dehumanising influences of technology.”[1]

One need only observe the influences of modern technology on education to be convinced that “self-examination, dialogue and generous encounter between persons” (the hallmarks that once characterised authentic learning) seems to have been replaced by the “accumulation of data, which eventually leads to overload and confusion, a sort of mental pollution.”[2] In other words, while technology has doubtless remedied numerous problems that once limited human beings, it has not always led to the authentic development of the human person.

To those readers who are convinced of Dawson’s suggestion, perhaps a resuscitation of Thomism—the thought of the medieval scholastic philosopher Thomas Aquinas—in educational discourse might reform modern education. To this end, I invite readers to think about how Aquinas’ understanding of happiness could contribute to educational reform—so that through an education, people are taught how to become an excellent human person in a high-tech world, rather than mere human capital for a technological economy.

Modern Education

Much of education could be viewed as the product of ideas accepted by society. As such, in the West, the growth of capitalism in the nineteenth and twentieth century—the Industrial Revolution—and now our twenty-first century’s Digital Revolution has produced what seems to be modern education’s primary focus on vocationalism, namely, that form of education that transmits technical knowledge for the purposes of producing human capital: to “ensure that all students are college and career ready.” [3] As vocationalism is geared toward these (utilitarian) ends, it is a form of education that is organised by a set of narrowly defined (economic) goals. Thus, vocationalism is a limited form of education.

Now there is nothing wrong in principle about pursuing or achieving economic excellence. In fact, the Spanish saint Josemaría Escrivá even taught that a person’s occupation in the world could be regarded as “an instrument for achieving human perfection” under the right conditions.[4] But if authentic human development has a moral character, then vocationalism seems to lacks this moral dimension.

As such, if education is primarily geared toward economic outcomes, then this may present many a challenge to those educators who are in—or entering—the teaching profession to help students to “further their moral growth and to develop their spiritual endowments,” with schools being “the setting for this rich personal growth.”[5] Furthermore, if education is primarily focused on producing human capital, then this may lead to the formation of the disintegrated person who knows not the value of Truth, Beauty and Goodness—of Love—in enriching human experience.

Therefore, vocationalism does not necessarily form immoral human beings, but as a mode of education, it would contribute little to the authentic development of the whole human person: “everything human, body, soul, and spirit.”[6]

The Purpose of Education

To address these limitations, the introduction of a moral dimension into the modern educational process might seem to be a reasonable solution. But if modern education has become subordinated to utilitarian ends, then any moral education in the mainstream system would nevertheless be regarded as another “way of getting on in the world and achieving social success.”[7] In other words, morality is reduced to a relevant qualification needed to successfully proceed to the next stage of a chosen career.[8]

Hence, I suggest that a more fruitful approach to educational reform would be the recovery of the Aristotelian tradition; that form of education which generated the Western mind and civilisation.[9] Within the Aristotelian tradition, it is understood that every human life has a telos, namely, a purpose to which it is ordered.

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle observed that every human act is motivated by—or ordered towards—happiness, therefore “happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”[10] According to Aristotle, the development of the whole human person—their physical, moral and intellectual dimensions—would lead to happiness. Thus, the acquisition of virtue, which builds moral character, is necessary for the attainment of happiness: a person “is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue.”[11]

In other words, within the Aristotelian tradition, the student is encouraged to develop their intellect, to pursue moral excellence, and to become “sufficiently equipped with external goods” by means of an economic activity, in order that they might attain their human flourishing.[12] The Aristotelian tradition thereby does not neglect economic activity—nor regards it as unimportant—but rather, it is understood as a means to an end and not an end itself.

Thus, the Aristotelian tradition is a form of education that is organised by a profound understanding of the beginning and the end—the Arche and the Telos—of human existence. It is a more integrated form of education—its raison d’etre to help students to attain the final end of human existence, namely, eudaimonia.

What is Happiness?

If Aristotle is correct, then the question of what happiness is—what is perfectly fulfilling for the human person—needs to be addressed.

The ideas on what makes life fulfilling are plentiful. But all educators ought to engage in the task of discerning what the ultimate good of the human person is, because education presupposes an anthropology, an understanding of the human person. Thus, understanding the meaning of life is important because where the educator thinks that a student is ultimately heading—their final end—will determine what and how they teach: their teaching practices, methods and pedagogies.

One might find in the thought of the medieval scholastic philosopher Thomas Aquinas an integrated and definite understanding of the human person’s final end. I now invite readers to reflect on how Aquinas’ understanding of happiness could reform modern education.

Now, Aquinas observed that as rational animals, each human person is a creature endowed with will; we are enlightened by reason. Through the lens of Aristotle’s teleological view of the human person, Aquinas observed that the human will (or rational appetite) seeks to achieve both its end and the good; hence, all human acts, guided by the will, are ordered toward an end, namely, our ultimate good.[13] He further observed that the intellect (in properly human acts) is the first principle that moves the will. Hence, the good of the intellect is truth, whereby “truth is the ultimate end of the human person.”[14] Therefore, the Doctor of Humanity taught that “perfect happiness consists in the activity of contemplative virtue.”[15]

In other words, Aquinas observed that all human beings act in accord with their will; a will governed by the intellect which orders all our human actions toward what we believe is happiness: all “human operations seem to be ordered to this one as to an end.”[16] In circumstances where the intellect desires to know and experience the Truth, happiness therefore consist in knowing and loving the first cause and final end of reality.[17] Therefore, according to Aquinas, perfect happiness is to realise—namely, to contemplate—the Supreme Truth, Goodness and Beauty of ultimate reality: the reality “that everyone calls God.”[18] In short, perfect happiness is found in a relationship with the source of the meaning of life.

This profound view on happiness could provide an entire rule of life, namely, a firm foundation for authentic human development: “That which is prior to us and constitutes us—subsistent Love and Truth—shows us what goodness is, and in what our true happiness consists. It shows us the road to true development.”[19]

Implications for Modern Education

The implications for modern education would be numerous if students are taught about Aquinas and his teachings on happiness: Supreme Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

A resuscitation of Thomism in popular thought could encourage a greater openness to wonder, art, music and literature—all that enriches human experience.[20] If more educators are also influenced by Aquinas, they might be able to better recognise and teach—even influence educational policy to reflect—the idea that education is and should be designed to direct students toward the achievement of their final end as human beings, namely, their happiness. Finally, if there is closure under Aquinas’ understanding of happiness, then “good teaching and good learning depend on a properly ordered will, on will directed to what is really good.”[21] In other words, students would learn not only the technical skills required to succeed in the workforce, but also the moral, intellectual and religious habits—the virtues and character—that would dispose them to excellence: “what is really good.”[22]

Hence, Aquinas’ integrated and definite view on happiness could reform modern education.

Conclusion

Technology has not only influenced modern culture, but it has also transformed education: contemporary teaching and learning. No doubt, technology has enhanced the way that technical knowledge is now transmitted by way of vocationalism—but it has not always led to the authentic development of the human person. Therefore, I think that there is a need for educational reform: education systems that form students “to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously.”[23]

In this reflection, I explored how vocationalism could not meet the demands of an integral education—"an education which responds to all of the needs of the human person”—so I reflected on how a resuscitation of Thomism in educational discourse could lead to educational reform.[24] I think education systems that are inspired by Aquinas’ understanding of happiness would truly help students to become an excellent human person living in a high-tech world.

References

[1] Christopher Dawson, America and the Secularisation of Modern Culture: The Smith Lecture (Houston: University of Saint Thomas, 1960), 12. [2] Francis, Laudato Si’, encyclical letter, Vatican website, May 24, 2015, http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html, sec. 47. [3] Ryan H.S. Topping, The Case for Catholic Education: Why parents, teachers and politicians should reclaim the principles of Catholic pedagogy (Kettering: Angelico Press, 2015), 15. [4] José Luis Illanes, The sanctification of work (New York: Scepter Publishers, 2003), 34. [5] Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, encyclical letter, Vatican website, March 26, 1967, http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html, sec. 34. [6] Christopher Dawson, The crisis of Western education (Washington: The Catholic University of America, 2010), 10. [7] Ibid, 6. [8] Alasdair MacIntyre, God, Philosophy, Universities: A Selective History of the Catholic Philosophical Tradition (Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009), 94. [9] Ibid, 33. [10] Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1098a13. [11] Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1101a10. [12] Ibid. [13] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, trans, Fathers of the English Dominican Province (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1911-1925), IIaIIae, q.47 arts 6-8. [14] Christian Stephens, “Ultimate happiness,” in An Introduction of Philosophy and Theology within Catholic Liberal Education, ed. Angus Brook, (North Ryde: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015), 323. [15] Ibid, 324. [16] Ibid, 325. [17] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Strathfield: St Pauls Publications, 1997), 34. [18] Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Ia, q.2 a.3. [19] Benedict XVI, Caritas In Veritate, encyclical letter, Vatican website, June 29, 2009, http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate.html, sec. 52. [20] Topping, The Case for Catholic Education, 13. [21] Brian Davies, “Aquinas on teaching and learning,” New Blackfriars 95, no. 1060 (2014): 641, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43251872. [22] Ibid. [23] Francis, Laudato Si’, sec. 47. [24] The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, “Lay witness in schools: Witnesses to faith,” Vatican website, October 15, 1982, https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19821015_lay-catholics_en.html, sec 3.