Can We Be Good On Our Own? Ancient Pagans and Modern Scientists on Thomistic Moral Virtue

What would pagan philosophers and modern psychologists (or ‘scientists-of-mind’) make of what Thomas Aquinas says about the work of grace in the moral life?
Thomas Aquinas holds that moral virtues can be cultivated in humans by habits, but he also holds that God can infuse the moral virtues into a human being. Can humans become good on their own? Or do they require external assistance? This symposium will consider the question of infused moral virtue: how does Aquinas describe the bestowal of moral virtues on an individual by God? How is his description related to the classical account of virtues acquired by virtuous action? How does modern science make sense of these insights?
This symposium features Angela Knobel (Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Dallas), Candace Vogler (University of Chicago), Daniel Lapsley (University of Notre Dame), and Emily Austin (Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Chicago).
This event took place at the University of Chicago, Swift Hall, on April 26, 2024. The event was presented by the Lumen Christi Institute, cosponsored by the University of Notre Dame Press and made possible through the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) from the John Templeton Foundation.