Yes, man has always an end in view when he acts, that is when he acts as man and not as a machine, or by impulse, or by any reaction which is purely physical or instinctive (I. 1).
In the material world, is it only man that can act for an end?
Yes, only man in the material world can act for an end.
Does it then follow that all other beings in the material world act without an end?
No, it does not follow that all other beings in the material world act without an end; on the contrary, all beings act for an end that is very definite; but they are incapable of fixing an end for themselves; it is God who knows the end and who fixes it for them (I. 2).
All other beings then act in view of attaining some end which has been fixed for them by God?
Yes, all other beings act in view of attaining some end which has been fixed for them by God (I. 2).
Has not God also fixed for man the end for which he acts?
Yes.
What then is the difference between man when he acts and other creatures in the material world?
The difference is this, that man under the higher action of God and dependently upon this action, can fix for himself the end for which he acts; whereas other creatures of the material world put into execution blindly, naturally, or instinctively the end fixed to their action by God (I. 2).
What is the reason of this difference between man and other beings in the matter of actions?
The reason is because man is endowed with mind, whereas other creatures are not (I. 2).
Next - The Catechism of the Summa - The Second Part: II. OF THE LAST END OR HAPPINESS OF MAN VIEWED IN ALL HIS ACTIONS (B)
(This is no longer being shared from the Kindle edition. I'm now sharing from the Jacques Maritain Center, at the University of Notre Dame.)
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