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                      Does human law command the acts of 
                      all the virtues? 
                         
                          It seems that human law does not 
                          command the acts of all the virtues: 
                         
                          Objection 1:  The acts 
                          of the vices are opposed to the acts of the virtues.  
                          But as has been explained (a. 2), human law does not 
                          prohibit all the vices.  Therefore, human law does 
                          not command the acts of all the virtues. 
                                
                      Objection 2:  
                      The act of a virtue proceeds from that virtue.  But virtue 
                      is the end of law, and so what proceeds from a 
                      virtue cannot fall under a precept of the law.  Therefore, 
                      human law does not command the acts of all the virtues. 
                                
                      Objection 3:  
                      As has been explained (q. 90, a. 2), law is ordered toward 
                      the common good.  But certain acts of the virtues are 
                      ordered not toward the common good, but instead toward 
                      [the agent’s] private good.  Therefore, the law does not 
                      command the acts of all the virtues. 
                                
                      But contrary to this:  
                      In Ethics 5 the Philosopher says, “The law commands 
                      the acts of the brave man and the acts of the temperate 
                      man and the acts of the mild‑mannered man—and so on for 
                      the other virtues and vices, commanding the former and 
                      prohibiting the latter.” 
                                 
                          I respond:  
                          As is clear from what was said above (q. 54, a. 2), 
                          the species of virtue are distinguished by their objects.  
                          But all the objects of the virtues can be traced back 
                          either to the private good of an individual or to the 
                          common good of a multitude.  For instance, one 
                          can execute acts of fortitude either for the sake of 
                          conserving the community or for the sake of preserving 
                          a friend’s rights.Now as has 
                          been explained (q. 90, a. 2), law is ordered toward 
                          the common good.  And so there is no virtue such 
                          that the law cannot command acts of that virtue.  
                          However, human law does not issue commands concerning 
                          all the acts of all the virtues; instead, it commands 
                          only those acts which can be ordered toward the common 
                          good either (a) immediately, as when certain 
                          acts are done directly because of the common good, or 
                          (b) mediately, as when the lawmaker commands 
                          certain acts pertaining to the good discipline through 
                          which citizens are formed in such a way as to conserve 
                          the good of justice and peace.
 
                                
                      Reply to objection 1:  
                      Human law does not prohibit all vicious acts by an 
                      obligatory precept, just as it does not command all 
                      virtuous acts, either.  Yet it prohibits certain acts of 
                      individual vices, just as it likewise commands certain 
                      acts of individual virtues. 
                                 
                          Reply to objection 2:  
                          There are two ways in which an act is said to be an 
                          act of a virtue:First, because the man is doing something virtuous.  
                          For instance, it is an act of justice to do something 
                          right and an act of fortitude to do something brave.  
                          In this sense the law commands some acts of the virtues.
 Second, 
                          because the man is doing something virtuous in the 
                          way that a virtuous man does it.  An act of 
                          this sort always proceeds from the virtue and never 
                          falls under a precept of the law, but is instead the 
                          end which the lawmaker intends to lead [the citizens] 
                          to.
 
                        
                      Reply to objection 3:  
                      As has been explained, there is no virtue whose acts 
                      cannot be ordered toward the common good, either mediately 
                      or immediately. |