Quotes by Thomas Aquinas

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No thing can be beautiful if it lacks something that belongs to its nature.

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And man has different knowledge according to his different subjects of knowledge, for we say that according to the fact that he knows the principles of reason, he has intelligence, according to the fact that he knows the consequences, he has knowledge, according to the fact that he knows the highest reason, he has wisdom, and that accordingly, that he discerns what may be done, by counsel or wisdom.

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Contemplating God's work - at least to a certain extent - entitles us to stand in awe of God's wisdom and form an opinion about it. And thinking about God's works makes us admire God's superior power, and therefore it awakens respect for God in the human heart. This thinking also incites the human soul to love the goodness of God. If the goodness, beauty and wonder of creatures can move the human soul to such great joy, how much more can the wellhead of God's own goodness (compared to the tiny goodness of creatures) turn excited human minds towards himself.

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We come to know the consequences through the principles.

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We know exhaustively what we know perfectly. And we know perfectly what we know as far as it can be known. Therefore, if something can be known with proof-based knowledge, and yet we only accept it based on probabilistic reasoning, we do not have exhaustive knowledge of it.

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Things either exist or they don't. If everything were like this, it would be possible for everything to exist at the same time, and then there would be no creation and destruction. So everything originates from something, and since it cannot go to infinity, a first origin must be assumed.

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No one can truly be happy without love.