Part II (Pars Prima Secundae) Part 75 (2/2)
SECOND ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 48, Art. 2]
Whether Anger Above All Causes Fervor in the Heart?
Objection 1: It would seem that heat is not above all the effect of anger. For fervor, as stated above (Q. 28, A. 5; Q. 37, A. 2), belongs to love. But love, as above stated, is the beginning and cause of all the pa.s.sions. Since then the cause is more powerful than its effect, it seems that anger is not the chief cause of fervor.
Obj. 2: Further, those things which, of themselves, arouse fervor, increase as time goes on; thus love grows stronger the longer it lasts. But in course of time anger grows weaker; for the Philosopher says (Rhet. ii, 3) that ”time puts an end to anger.” Therefore fervor is not the proper effect of anger.
Obj. 3: Further, fervor added to fervor produces greater fervor. But ”the addition of a greater anger banishes already existing anger,” as the Philosopher says (Rhet. ii, 3). Therefore anger does not cause fervor.
_On the contrary,_ Damascene says (De Fide Orth. ii, 16) that ”anger is fervor of the blood around the heart, resulting from an exhalation of the bile.”
_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 44, A. 1), the bodily trans.m.u.tation that occurs in the pa.s.sions of the soul is proportionate to the movement of the appet.i.te. Now it is evident that every appet.i.te, even the natural appet.i.te, tends with greater force to repel that which is contrary to it, if it be present: hence we see that hot water freezes harder, as though the cold acted with greater force on the hot object. Since then the appet.i.tive movement of anger is caused by some injury inflicted, as by a contrary that is present; it follows that the appet.i.te tends with great force to repel the injury by the desire of vengeance; and hence ensues great vehemence and impetuosity in the movement of anger. And because the movement of anger is not one of recoil, which corresponds to the action of cold, but one of prosecution, which corresponds to the action of heat, the result is that the movement of anger produces fervor of the blood and vital spirits around the heart, which is the instrument of the soul's pa.s.sions. And hence it is that, on account of the heart being so disturbed by anger, those chiefly who are angry betray signs thereof in their outer members. For, as Gregory says (Moral. v, 30) ”the heart that is inflamed with the stings of its own anger beats quick, the body trembles, the tongue stammers, the countenance takes fire, the eyes grow fierce, they that are well known are not recognized.
With the mouth indeed he shapes a sound, but the understanding knows not what it says.”
Reply Obj. 1: ”Love itself is not felt so keenly as in the absence of the beloved,” as Augustine observes (De Trin. x, 12). Consequently when a man suffers from a hurt done to the excellence that he loves, he feels his love thereof the more: the result being that his heart is moved with greater heat to remove the hindrance to the object of his love; so that anger increases the fervor of love and makes it to be felt more.
Nevertheless, the fervor arising from heat differs according as it is to be referred to love or to anger. Because the fervor of love has a certain sweetness and gentleness; for it tends to the good that one loves: whence it is likened to the warmth of the air and of the blood. For this reason sanguine temperaments are more inclined to love; and hence the saying that ”love springs from the liver,”
because of the blood being formed there. On the other hand, the fervor of anger has a certain bitterness with a tendency to destroy, for it seeks to be avenged on the contrary evil: whence it is likened to the heat of fire and of the bile, and for this reason Damascene says (De Fide Orth. ii, 16) that it ”results from an exhalation of the bile whence it takes its name _chole_.”
Reply Obj. 2: Time, of necessity, weakens all those things, the causes of which are impaired by time. Now it is evident that memory is weakened by time; for things which happened long ago easily slip from our memory. But anger is caused by the memory of a wrong done.
Consequently the cause of anger is impaired little by little as time goes on, until at length it vanishes altogether. Moreover a wrong seems greater when it is first felt; and our estimate thereof is gradually lessened the further the sense of present wrong recedes into the past. The same applies to love, so long as the cause of love is in the memory alone; wherefore the Philosopher says (Ethic. viii, 5) that ”if a friend's absence lasts long, it seems to make men forget their friends.h.i.+p.” But in the presence of a friend, the cause of friends.h.i.+p is continually being multiplied by time: wherefore the friends.h.i.+p increases: and the same would apply to anger, were its cause continually multiplied.
Nevertheless the very fact that anger soon spends itself proves the strength of its fervor: for as a great fire is soon spent having burnt up all the fuel; so too anger, by reason of its vehemence, soon dies away.
Reply Obj. 3: Every power that is divided in itself is weakened.
Consequently if a man being already angry with one, becomes angry with another, by this very fact his anger with the former is weakened. Especially is this so if his anger in the second case be greater: because the wrong done which aroused his former anger, will, in comparison with the second wrong, which is reckoned greater, seem to be of little or no account.
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THIRD ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 48, Art. 3]
Whether Anger Above All Hinders the Use of Reason?
Objection 1: It would seem that anger does not hinder the use of reason. Because that which presupposes an act of reason, does not seem to hinder the use of reason. But ”anger listens to reason,” as stated in _Ethic._ vii, 6. Therefore anger does not hinder reason.
Obj. 2: Further, the more the reason is hindered, the less does a man show his thoughts. But the Philosopher says (Ethic. vii, 6) that ”an angry man is not cunning but is open.” Therefore anger does not seem to hinder the use of reason, as desire does; for desire is cunning, as he also states (Ethic. vii, 6.).
Obj. 3: Further, the judgment of reason becomes more evident by juxtaposition of the contrary: because contraries stand out more clearly when placed beside one another. But this also increases anger: for the Philosopher says (Rhet. ii, 2) that ”men are more angry if they receive unwonted treatment; for instance, honorable men, if they be dishonored”: and so forth. Therefore the same cause increases anger, and facilitates the judgment of reason. Therefore anger does not hinder the judgment of reason.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Moral. v, 30) that anger ”withdraws the light of understanding, while by agitating it troubles the mind.”
_I answer that,_ Although the mind or reason makes no use of a bodily organ in its proper act, yet, since it needs certain sensitive powers for the execution of its act, the acts of which powers are hindered when the body is disturbed, it follows of necessity that any disturbance in the body hinders even the judgment of reason; as is clear in the case of drunkenness or sleep. Now it has been stated (A.
2) that anger, above all, causes a bodily disturbance in the region of the heart, so much as to effect even the outward members.
Consequently, of all the pa.s.sions, anger is the most manifest obstacle to the judgment of reason, according to Ps. 30:10: ”My eye is troubled with wrath.”
Reply Obj. 1: The beginning of anger is in the reason, as regards the appet.i.tive movement, which is the formal element of anger. But the pa.s.sion of anger forestalls the perfect judgment of reason, as though it listened but imperfectly to reason, on account of the commotion of the heat urging to instant action, which commotion is the material element of anger. In this respect it hinders the judgment of reason.
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