Q0326
“Good is to be done and pursued, and evil avoided.” — Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologiae I-II, q.94, a.2)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Summa Theologiae I-II, q.94, a.2. Theme: power.
English
Good is to be done and pursued, and evil avoided.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Summa Theologiae I-II, q.94, a.2 and files it under Scholasticism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) was the Dominican scholastic who synthesized Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology in the Summa Theologiae and Summa contra Gentiles. Educated at Naples, Paris, and Cologne under Albert the Great, he taught in Paris and Italian studia.
How to read this passage
Philosophers analyze domination, authority, freedom, and the micro-politics of everyday life. Power can enable justice or crush it. This passage enters that discussion through power, morality, practice.
Concepts in this quote
- Power
- Power is the capacity to affect others and to shape what counts as possible—central to politics and ethics.
- Morality
- Morality in philosophy concerns right and wrong, obligation, and the standards by which we judge persons and acts.
- Practice
- Practice is where thought becomes habit: philosophy as a way of living, training, and repeated action.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Thomas Aquinas. (n.d.). Good is to be done and pursued, and evil avoided. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0326
MLA: Thomas Aquinas. “Good is to be done and pursued, and….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0326.
Chicago: Thomas Aquinas. “Good is to be done and pursued, and….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0326.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Good is to be done and pursued, and…”?
The passage is attributed to Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II, q.94, a.2. The archive attributes this English wording to Summa Theologiae I-II, q.94, a.2 and files it under Scholasticism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Thomas Aquinas mean by power?
Philosophers analyze domination, authority, freedom, and the micro-politics of everyday life. Power can enable justice or crush it. This passage enters that discussion through power, morality, practice.