The Fonts of Morality (Aquinas 101) 

This is the best Catholic online series in the history of the Church. Generations and generations and generations will benefit from this amazing effort from the Dominicans. A case can be made that these bite-size videos, which even an impatient person can handle, are a source of solid spiritual direction for the online Christian community. Well done!!

Thank you, Father Petry for this easy explanation on a deep topic.

Thank you from the Philippines. You make available these classes on Theology and the traditional teachings of the Catholic Faith to ordinary people such as myself who love the Lord, the Faith and the intellectual life. Your generosity shall benefit the Catholic faithful and glorify the Lord. God bless.

Thank you very much for these teachings. So appreciated.

This is so important this teaching about moral reasoning and purpose. Our culture is starving to death right in front of us from the lack of this kind of teaching. Our young people and even adults flounder in a world of relativism that is sweeping away common sense and leaving our world meaningless and void of hope. Thank you. I will share these and do what I can to promote this. Please keep these videos up for people to consider. thanks

Thank you, Father Petri. I appreciate the clarity with which you teach.

Thank you for this video! May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you!

Thank you Father Petri! So clear I enjoyed it twice!! And my last name is Petrie too 😄Keep up the wonderful teachings!

Thank you Father, clear explanation 😮

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🤝 Morality is about human actions; we are masters of our choices, driven by reasons and purposes. 01:33 🧠 Morality is concerned with the three components of human action: intention, object, and circumstances. 03:25 🚫 Some activities are intrinsically evil, and no intention can make them morally acceptable. 05:12 ✅ Every action must be individually judged based on its morality, as the ends don't justify immoral means. 06:09 🤔 The ultimate gauge for morality is whether our choices align with right reason, reflecting our divine image. Made with HARPA AI

5:25 This justification is so important that I argue it needs to be a 4th component of human action: fruits of the action. The end do justify the means but you need to account for the fruits of choices. The consequences of your choices, whether they are your goal or not, are a result of your choice and thus your responsibility

Thanks Father

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🧠 *Understanding Morality According to Aquinas* - Morality, for St. Thomas Aquinas, revolves around human actions and the ability to make choices for reasons. - Human actions are a sequence of choices leading to specific goals in life. - Deliberation plays a role in both routine and morally intense choices. 01:07 🎯 *Components of Human Choice: Intention, Object, Circumstances* - Every human choice has three components: intention, object, and circumstances. - The intention represents the personal reason behind a choice, while the object is the purpose or movement of the activity. - Circumstances, including who, where, how, and when, contribute to the morality of an action. 03:25 ⚖️ *Intrinsic Evil and Moral Evaluation* - St. John Paul II, influenced by Aquinas, asserted that some activities are intrinsically evil, irrespective of intention. - Morality is evaluated based on the alignment of intention, object, and circumstances. - Circumstances, such as location and timing, can impact the morality of an action. 04:17 💔 *The Interplay of Intention, Object, and Circumstances* - St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized that a morally good action requires a harmonious alignment of intention, object, and circumstances. - Actions can be immoral even with good intentions if the chosen activity is not suitable for achieving the intended goal. - Each action must be judged individually, as the ends never justify immoral means. 05:39 🤝 *Freedom of Choice and the Role of Reason* - While external factors may prevent us from doing good, no one can force us to do evil according to Aquinas. - St. John Paul II highlighted the importance of being prepared to resist doing evil, even at the cost of one's life. - The ultimate measure of morality is the alignment of intention, object, and circumstances with right reason, our highest power.

The thing is, circumstances don't always accord with right reason

Does the Institute offer certificate courses?

I just heard about different methods Google has developed which can strip a person of having full freedom of will. Do you suppose that's possible? I know it's being used in regards to voting for one party over another, but do you suppose it can be used in other ways, or would God protect us from such a thing?

Talking to an atheist who is asking if worshipping God is considered a moral action. Is it considered immoral to convert to Hinduism? After this video I would say no because it doesn’t fall along the cardinal virtues. But “worshipping God” does seem to have a moral component. Thoughts?

"The end never justifies the means." It is not nice to stick needles in little children and make them cry, yet we do this routinely when vaccinating them, for transfusions, and numerous other medical procedures that cause pain. It seems to contradict the first statement. How explain this?

Why do all your members have a scar on their forehead?