“To Tend Directly Toward God”

Abstract

The aim of this article is to consider John Calvin’s thinking on humanity’s telos. In it, I argue that Calvin embraces the structure of eudaimonistic anthropology that human life is ordered to an all-encompassing telos, though he significantly modifies the content of this framework in line with his Christian commitments, holding that humanity needs grace to reach its final end and that the final end is bound up with eternal life and God. To show this aspect of his thought, I consider three elements of his anthropology. First, I note how Calvin thinks of human nature as incomplete and having innate potentialities to be realized. Second, I observe the role that rationality plays in achieving this telos both before and after the Fall. Finally, I conclude by discussing Calvin’s specific understanding of the nature of humanity’s telos.