<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Current political and social climate seems to have as a presupposition the view that truth-telling has a merely instrumental value. This paper will explore Thomas Aquinas’ writing on truth and truth-telling, arguing that truth-telling is an intrinsic good, a human virtue and a component of human flourishing. In Aquinas’ view the virtue of truth-telling is a satellite virtue within the cardinal virtue of justice, and as such imperative for the flourishing of human society.</p></abstract>

Current political and social climate seems to have as a presupposition the view that truth-telling has a merely instrumental value. This paper will explore Thomas Aquinas’ writing on truth and truth-telling, arguing that truth-telling is an intrinsic good, a human virtue and a component of human flourishing. In Aquinas’ view the virtue of truth-telling is a satellite virtue within the cardinal virtue of justice, and as such imperative for the flourishing of human society.

Truth Matters: Living in Dangerous Times - Aquinas on the Virtue of Truth-Telling

European Journal for the Study of Thomas Aquinas

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Current political and social climate seems to have as a presupposition the view that truth-telling has a merely instrumental value. This paper will explore...

Truth Matters: Living in Dangerous Times - Aquinas on the Virtue of Truth-Telling

Published Online: Jun 26, 2019

Page range: 35 - 48

Received: Dec 18, 2018

Accepted: Mar 14, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ejsta-2019-0003

Keywords
truth, fake news, lying, virtue ethics, human flourishing

© 2019 Fainché Ryan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Truth Matters: Living in Dangerous Times - Aquinas on the Virtue of Truth-Telling

Published Online: Jun 26, 2019

Page range: 35 - 48

Received: Dec 18, 2018

Accepted: Mar 14, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ejsta-2019-0003

Keywordstruth, fake news, lying, virtue ethics, human flourishing

© 2019 Fainché Ryan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
truth, fake news, lying, virtue ethics, human flourishing