In this article I will examine Thomas Aquinas' discussion from chapters 27-37 of Book III of the Summa Contra Gentiles, examining the pursuit of happiness and the ultimate source of happiness. I will first discuss the different types of happiness described by Thomas Aquinas in the Counter-Gentiles and how they may seem at first glance to satisfy the definition of happiness. I will then examine why he refutes this research as the true source of happiness. Second, I will examine how knowledge of God, for Aquinas, is the ultimate source of happiness for man, even if complete understanding is unattainable in this life. I will then defend this argument which I believe supports that happiness is linked to God and why I believe it is a valid argument. In the Summa Contra Gentiles, Book III, Chapters 27 to 37, Thomas Aquinas very systematically describes various activities. of humanity that, although they may be pleasant, they do not meet the ultimate definition of happiness that Thomas Aquinas speaks of. He describes these various activities and then explains why they do not meet the criteria required to be true happiness. For Thomas Aquinas, the ultimate and most desirable happiness is that found in the knowledge of God. These various pursuits progress from our more instinctive nature and progress toward more reason-based assertions and pursuits. Beginning with chapter 27, paragraph 1 of the Summa Contra Gentiles, Thomas Aquinas states: "it is impossible for human felicity to consist in bodily pleasures, the chief of which are those of food and sex" (Aquinas, 1264). Although food and sex can indeed be forms of pleasure, they ultimately serve a greater purpose than pleasure alone. Food is necessary for the individual to... middle of paper ... real desires found in wealth, power, physicality and one's senses. As man becomes more conscious, he turns to the outside world to seek happiness through acts of moral virtue, acts of prudence, and the representation and appreciation of art. I believe this represents a valid interpretation of chapters 27-37 of Book III of the Summa Against the Gentiles and presents a very clear representation of the stages through which man progresses in the pursuit of happiness. Ultimately, if man continues this journey of self-discovery, he will find the ultimate happiness he seeks through the contemplation of those things greater than man himself, and that is the contemplation of God. Works Cited Aquinas, T. (1264). Counter-Gentiles. Book Three, Questions 27-37, translated by Vernon J. Bourke Retrieved from: http://dhspriory.org/thomas/ContraGentiles.htm