The life of pleasure places its end in pleasures of the body, which are common to us and dumb animals
 Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1274). copy citation

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Author Thomas Aquinas
Source Summa Theologica
Topic pleasure life
Date 1274
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18755/pg18755-images.html

Context

“Now the intellect is divided into active and contemplative, since the end of intellective knowledge is either the knowledge itself of truth, which pertains to the contemplative intellect, or some external action, which pertains to the practical or active intellect. Therefore life too is adequately divided into active and contemplative. Reply Obj. 1: The life of pleasure places its end in pleasures of the body, which are common to us and dumb animals; wherefore as the Philosopher says (Ethic. Ethic. i, 5) , it is the life "of a beast." Hence it is not included in this division of the life of a man into active and contemplative. Reply Obj. 2: A mean is a combination of extremes, wherefore it is virtually contained in them, as tepid in hot and cold, and pale in white and black.” source