"The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing."

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More quotes from: Saint Thomas Aquinas

• "A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational. "
• "A man should remind himself that an object of faith is not scientifically demonstrable, lest ..."
• "All that is true, by whomsoever it has been said has its origin in the ..."
• "All the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly. "
• "And therefore the Philosopher [Aristotle] says in Metaphysics VI that good and evil, which are ..."
• "As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of ..."
• "Because of the diverse conditions of humans, it happens that some acts are virtuous to ..."
• "Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a ..."
• "Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely ..."
• "Beware of the person of one book. "
• "By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments. "
• "Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the ..."
• "Concerning perfect blessed ness which consists in a vision of God. "
• "Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that ..."
• "Final and perfect happiness can consist in nothing else than the vision of the Divine ..."
• "For loving draws us more to things than knowing does, since good is found by ..."
• "Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable ..."
• "Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good. "
• "Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man's own will. "
• "Hold firmly that our faith is identical with that of the ancients. Deny this, and ..."
• "How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly ..."
• "How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most ..."
• "Human salvation demands the divine disclosure of truths surpassing reason. "
• "If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much ..."
• "If someone knows from experience that daily Communion increases fervor without lessening reverence, then let ..."

• "If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep ..."
• "If, then, you are looking for the way by which you should go, take Christ, ..."
• "In order for a war to be just, three things are necessary. First, the authority ..."
• "In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes ..."
• "It is clear that he does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God, ..."
• "It is possible to demonstrate God's existence, although not a priori, yet a posteriori from ..."
• "It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time ..."
• "Just as a man cannot live in the flesh unless he is born in the ..."
• "Just as in one man there is one soul and one body, yet many members; ..."
• "Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to ..."
• "Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care ..."
• "Love takes up where knowledge leaves off. "
• "Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it ..."
• "Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so ..."
• "Moral science is better occupied when treating of friendship than of justice. "
• "Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason. "
• "Nor has the Church failed before the assaults of demons: for she is like a ..."
• "Not everything that is more difficult is more meritorious. "
• "Now among all passions inflicted from without, death holds the first place, just as sexual ..."
• "Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles ..."
• "Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them. "
• "Reason in man is rather like God in the world. "
• "Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine. "
• "Sure, for all our blindness; secure, for all our helplessness; strong, for all our weakness; ..."

• "Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind which binds the passion. "
• "That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they ..."
• "The Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy her; in fact, ..."
• "The minister to whom confession is made is the delegate of Christ, Who is the ..."
• "The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to ..."
• "The test of the artist does not lie in the will with which he goes ..."
• "The things that we love tell us what we are. "
• "The truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidels if any ..."
• "There are wars where no one marches with a flag, though that does not keep ..."
• "There is but one Church in which men find salvation, just as outside the ark ..."
• "There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. "
• "This Blood that but one drop of has the power to win. All the world ..."
• "Those who are more adapted to the active life can prepare themselves for contemplation in ..."
• "Three conditions are necessary for Penance: contrition, which is sorrow for sin, together with a ..."
• "Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to ..."
• "To bear with patience wrongs done to oneself is a mark of perfection, but to ..."
• "To convert somebody go and take them by the hand and guide them. "
• "To live well is to work well, to show a good activity. "
• "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation ..."
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• "Well-ordered self-love is right and natural. "
• "Whatever is received is received according to the nature of the recipient. "
• "Wonder is the desire for knowledge. "