Part III (Secunda Secundae) Part 220 (2/2)

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FOURTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 153, Art. 4]

Whether l.u.s.t Is a Capital Vice?

Objection 1: It seems that l.u.s.t is not a capital vice. For l.u.s.t is apparently the same as ”uncleanness,” according to a gloss on Eph.

5:3 (Cf. 2 Cor. 12:21). But uncleanness is a daughter of gluttony, according to Gregory (Moral. x.x.xi, 45). Therefore l.u.s.t is not a capital vice.

Obj. 2: Further, Isidore says (De Summo Bono ii, 39) that ”as pride of mind leads to the depravity of l.u.s.t, so does humility of mind safeguard the chast.i.ty of the flesh.” Now it is seemingly contrary to the nature of a capital vice to arise from another vice. Therefore l.u.s.t is not a capital vice.

Obj. 3: Further, l.u.s.t is caused by despair, according to Eph. 4:19, ”Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness.” But despair is not a capital vice; indeed, it is accounted a daughter of sloth, as stated above (Q. 35, A. 4, ad 2). Much less, therefore, is l.u.s.t a capital vice.

_On the contrary,_ Gregory (Moral. x.x.xi, 45) places l.u.s.t among the capital vices.

_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 148, A. 5; I-II, Q. 84, AA. 3, 4), a capital vice is one that has a very desirable end, so that through desire for that end, a man proceeds to commit many sins, all of which are said to arise from that vice as from a princ.i.p.al vice.

Now the end of l.u.s.t is venereal pleasure, which is very great.

Wherefore this pleasure is very desirable as regards the sensitive appet.i.te, both on account of the intensity of the pleasure, and because such like concupiscence is connatural to man. Therefore it is evident that l.u.s.t is a capital vice.

Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (Q. 148, A. 6), according to some, the uncleanness which is reckoned a daughter of gluttony is a certain uncleanness of the body, and thus the objection is not to the point.

If, however, it denote the uncleanness of l.u.s.t, we must reply that it is caused by gluttony materially--in so far as gluttony provides the bodily matter of l.u.s.t--and not under the aspect of final cause, in which respect chiefly the capital vices are said to be the cause of others.

Reply Obj. 2: As stated above (Q. 132, A. 4, ad 1), when we were treating of vainglory, pride is accounted the common mother of all sins, so that even the capital vices originate therefrom.

Reply Obj. 3: Certain persons refrain from l.u.s.tful pleasures chiefly through hope of the glory to come, which hope is removed by despair, so that the latter is a cause of l.u.s.t, as removing an obstacle thereto, not as its direct cause; whereas this is seemingly necessary for a capital vice.

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FIFTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 153, Art. 5]

Whether the Daughters of l.u.s.t Are Fittingly Described?

Objection 1: It would seem that the daughters of l.u.s.t are unfittingly reckoned to be ”blindness of mind, thoughtlessness, inconstancy, rashness, self-love, hatred of G.o.d, love of this world and abhorrence or despair of a future world.” For mental blindness, thoughtlessness and rashness pertain to imprudence, which is to be found in every sin, even as prudence is in every virtue. Therefore they should not be reckoned especially as daughters of l.u.s.t.

Obj. 2: Further, constancy is reckoned a part of fort.i.tude, as stated above (Q. 128, ad 6; Q. 137, A. 3). But l.u.s.t is contrary, not to fort.i.tude but to temperance. Therefore inconstancy is not a daughter of l.u.s.t.

Obj. 3: Further, ”Self-love extending to the contempt of G.o.d” is the origin of every sin, as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xiv, 28).

Therefore it should not be accounted a daughter of l.u.s.t.

Obj. 4: Further, Isidore [*QQ. in Deut., qu. xvi] mentions four, namely, ”obscene,” ”scurrilous,” ”wanton” and ”foolish talking.”

There the aforesaid enumeration would seem to be superfluous.

_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Gregory (Moral. x.x.xi, 45).

_I answer that,_ When the lower powers are strongly moved towards their objects, the result is that the higher powers are hindered and disordered in their acts. Now the effect of the vice of l.u.s.t is that the lower appet.i.te, namely the concupiscible, is most vehemently intent on its object, to wit, the object of pleasure, on account of the vehemence of the pleasure. Consequently the higher powers, namely the reason and the will, are most grievously disordered by l.u.s.t.

Now the reason has four acts in matters of action. First there is simple understanding, which apprehends some end as good, and this act is hindered by l.u.s.t, according to Dan. 13:56, ”Beauty hath deceived thee, and l.u.s.t hath perverted thy heart.” In this respect we have ”blindness of mind.” The second act is counsel about what is to be done for the sake of the end: and this is also hindered by the concupiscence of l.u.s.t. Hence Terence says (Eunuch., act 1, sc. 1), speaking of lecherous love: ”This thing admits of neither counsel nor moderation, thou canst not control it by counseling.” In this respect there is ”rashness,” which denotes absence of counsel, as stated above (Q. 53, A. 3). The third act is judgment about the things to be done, and this again is hindered by l.u.s.t. For it is said of the l.u.s.tful old men (Dan. 13:9): ”They perverted their own mind ...

that they might not ... remember just judgments.” In this respect there is ”thoughtlessness.” The fourth act is the reason's command about the thing to be done, and this also is impeded by l.u.s.t, in so far as through being carried away by concupiscence, a man is hindered from doing what his reason ordered to be done. [To this ”inconstancy”

must be referred.] [*The sentence in brackets is omitted in the Leonine edition.] Hence Terence says (Eunuch., act 1, sc. 1) of a man who declared that he would leave his mistress: ”One little false tear will undo those words.”

On the part of the will there results a twofold inordinate act. One is the desire for the end, to which we refer ”self-love,” which regards the pleasure which a man desires inordinately, while on the other hand there is ”hatred of G.o.d,” by reason of His forbidding the desired pleasure. The other act is the desire for the things directed to the end. With regard to this there is ”love of this world,” whose pleasures a man desires to enjoy, while on the other hand there is ”despair of a future world,” because through being held back by carnal pleasures he cares not to obtain spiritual pleasures, since they are distasteful to him.

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