Thomas Aquinas on the passions : a study of "Summa theologiae" 1a2ae 22-48

The Summa Theologiae is Thomas Aquinas' undisputed masterwork, and it includes his thoughts on the elemental forces in human life. Feelings such as love, hatred, pleasure, pain, hope and despair were described by Aquinas as 'passions', representing the different ways in which happiness could be affected. But what causes the passions? What impact do they have on the person who suffers them? Can they be shaped and reshaped in order to better promote human flourishing? The aim of this book is to provide a better understanding of Aquinas' account of the passions. It identifies the Aristotelian influences that lie at the heart of the Summa Theologiae, and it enters into a dialogue with contemporary thinking about the nature of emotion. The study argues that Aquinas' work is still important today, and shows why for Aquinas both the understanding and attainment of happiness requires prolonged reflection on the passions. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Figures......Page 9 Tables......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 11 A note on the texts......Page 13 Why read Thomas Aquinas on the passions?......Page 15 Part 1 The passions in general......Page 25 1.1 The appetitive power in general......Page 27 1.2 Sensitive vs. natural appetite......Page 33 1.3 Sensitive vs. rational appetite......Page 35 1.4 The priority of good to evil......Page 39 2.1 Defining "passion"......Page 43 2.2 Passions and pseudopassions......Page 49 2.3 Passions as motions......Page 52 2.4 The irascible/concupiscible distinction in the 1a 'pars'......Page 60 2.5 The irascible/concupiscible distinction in the 1a2ae......Page 67 3.1 Formal objects of the passions......Page 72 3.2 Sensation and imagination......Page 79 3.3 The estimative and memorative powers......Page 83 3.4 The role of the particular reason......Page 90 3.5 Passions as causes of other passions......Page 96 4.1 Passions as contributors to the moral goodness of actions......Page 102 4.2 Passions and the motion 'ad finem'......Page 107 4.3 Do the passions have cognitive value?......Page 110 4.4 Are we responsible for our passions?......Page 114 Part 2 Particular passions: the concupiscible passions......Page 123 5.1 Introduction to the particular passions......Page 125 5.2 Love as a passion......Page 129 5.3 'Amor amicitiae' vs. 'amor concupiscentiae'......Page 136 5.4 What causes love?......Page 140 5.5 The effects of love......Page 146 6.1 The non-essence of hatred......Page 154 6.2 What kinds of thing can be hated?......Page 159 6.3 Concupiscence as a passion......Page 164 6.4 "Non-natural" or "rational" concupiscence......Page 168 7.1 The nature of pleasure......Page 174 7.2 What causes pleasure?......Page 186 7.3 The effects of pleasure......Page 191 7.4 Good and evil pleasures......Page 196 8.1 The nature of pain and sorrow......Page 202 8.2 What causes sorrow?......Page 211 8.3 The value of moderate sorrow......Page 213 8.4 Remedies for pain and sorrow......Page 217 8.5 Sorrow in relation to good and evil......Page 221 Part 3 Particular passions: the irascible passions......Page 227 9.1 Hope and despair as passions......Page 229 9.2 What causes hope?......Page 235 9.3 False hope vs. good hope......Page 237 9.4 "Interior" and "exterior" effects of hope......Page 239 9.5 Hope as passion vs. hope as theological virtue......Page 241 10.1 Fear itself......Page 245 10.2 What is the object of fear?......Page 251 10.3 The cause of fear......Page 256 10.4 What fear does to a person......Page 260 11.1 Daring as the contrary of fear......Page 266 11.2 Hope as the principal cause of daring......Page 270 11.3 Daring and courage......Page 275 11.4 Two objections......Page 276 12.1 Defining anger as a passion......Page 282 12.2 An 'apologia pro ira'?......Page 287 12.3 What causes anger?......Page 292 12.4 Anger's effects......Page 296 Epilogue: The passions, the virtues, and happiness......Page 301 Bibliography......Page 314 Index......Page 322 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Figures 9 Tables 10 Acknowledgments 11 A note on the texts 13 Introduction 15 Why read Thomas Aquinas on the passions? 15 Part 1 The passions in general 25 Chapter 1: The sensitive appetite 27 1.1 The appetitive power in general 27 1.2 Sensitive vs. natural appetite 33 1.3 Sensitive vs. rational appetite 35 1.4 The priority of good to evil 39 Chapter 2: The definition of passion 43 2.1 Defining "passion" 43 2.2 Passions and pseudopassions 49 2.3 Passions as motions 52 2.4 The irascible/concupiscible distinction in the 1a 'pars' 60 2.5 The irascible/concupiscible distinction in the 1a2ae 67 Chapter 3: The activation of passion 72 3.1 Formal objects of the passions 72 3.2 Sensation and imagination 79 3.3 The estimative and memorative powers 83 3.4 The role of the particular reason 90 3.5 Passions as causes of other passions 96 Chapter 4: The morality of the passions 102 4.1 Passions as contributors to the moral goodness of actions 102 4.2 Passions and the motion 'ad finem' 107 4.3 Do the passions have cognitive value? 110 4.4 Are we responsible for our passions? 114 Part 2 Particular passions: the concupiscible passions 123 Chapter 5: Love 125 5.1 Introduction to the particular passions 125 5.2 Love as a passion 129 5.3 'Amor amicitiae' vs. 'amor concupiscentiae' 136 5.4 What causes love? 140 5.5 The effects of love 146 Chapter 6: Hatred and concupiscence 154 6.1 The non-essence of hatred 154 6.2 What kinds of thing can be hated? 159 6.3 Concupiscence as a passion 164 6.4 "Non-natural" or "rational" concupiscence 168 Chapter 7: Pleasure 174 7.1 The nature of pleasure 174 7.2 What causes pleasure? 186 7.3 The effects of pleasure 191 7.4 Good and evil pleasures 196 Chapter 8: Sorrow 202 8.1 The nature of pain and sorrow 202 8.2 What causes sorrow? 211 8.3 The value of moderate sorrow 213 8.4 Remedies for pain and sorrow 217 8.5 Sorrow in relation to good and evil 221 Part 3 Particular passions: the irascible passions 227 Chapter 9: Hope and despair 229 9.1 Hope and despair as passions 229 9.2 What causes hope? 235 9.3 False hope vs. good hope 237 9.4 "Interior" and "exterior" effects of hope 239 9.5 Hope as passion vs. hope as theological virtue 241 Chapter 10: Fear 245 10.1 Fear itself 245 10.2 What is the object of fear? 251 10.3 The cause of fear 256 10.4 What fear does to a person 260 Chapter 11: Daring 266 11.1 Daring as the contrary of fear 266 11.2 Hope as the principal cause of daring 270 11.3 Daring and courage 275 11.4 Two objections 276 Chapter 12: Anger 282 12.1 Defining anger as a passion 282 12.2 An 'apologia pro ira'? 287 12.3 What causes anger? 292 12.4 Anger's effects 296 Epilogue: The passions, the virtues, and happiness 301 Bibliography 314 Index 322