Analyzing Thomas Aquinas's View about "Happiness" Using Tillich's Theory of Symbols

For Paul Tillich, "symbolic language" is the only appropriate means of expressing, analyzing, and examining religious subjects that transcends the ability and limitation of conventional worldly terms, as well as the conceptual language of philosophy. The purpose of the present study is to demonstrate the feasibility of analyzing issues such as "divine grace", "inductive virtues" and "delightful vision" in the philosophical theology of Thomas Aquinas with a symbolic language approach. The theory of "symbolic language", because of its contradictory and polar features, provides an understanding of the divine bliss, divine grace and inductive virtues in its context. It also views these issues as symbols that are appropriate answers to the fundamental and existential issues of human. On this basis, it can be said that God's grace is a response to the issue of "inherent sin" and the defects of human nature. Induced virtues are a response to insufficient acquired virtues to achieve supernatural happiness. The delightful vision is a response to one's desire to know the beginning and the origin of the existence. And true happiness in heaven is a response to man's natural desire for eternity with peace and goodness.