Thomas Aquinas and the Dynamism of the Will in Choice

According to Aquinas, the moral quality of the human person depends on the actions carried out through the will, understood as efficient cause. In Aquinas’ thought, the will is a rational appetite, but it cannot be reduced to a mere executor of reason’s commands; otherwise, it would lack freedom, and its actions would not be meritorious. This raises a central question: how can the will be free in choosing its actions if it always chooses and acts under the guidance of reason? I argue that Aquinas provides sufficient theoretical resources to answer this question, resources that this article brings into focus.