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Thomas Aquinas's Questions on the passions form part of the Summa Theologiae, Aquinas's best-known work. This first standalone edition shows, through a translation that is both rigorously accurate and mirrors the rapid tempo of Aquinas's Latin, what Aquinas says in his landmark treatment of the passions. Aquinas sets the parameters and terms of debate for numerous later theorists of the passions, including Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza and Hume. Some have alleged that Paul and later Christians have (in Nietzsche's words) “an evil eye for the passions,” judging them as 'dirty, disfiguring and heartbreaking'. Yet readers of the present translation will perceive that Aquinas regards the passions as part of created nature, and thereby good in their essence. As they encounter Aquinas's treatment, they will also deepen their knowledge of particular passions-including love, hatred, desire, aversion, pleasure, sorrow, hope, despair, fear, and anger.
One should next consider the passions of the soul in particular. And first, the passions of the Desiring Power; second, the passions of the Energizing Power. The first consideration will be threefold, for we will first consider love and hatred; second, desire (concupiscentia) and aversion; and third, pleasure and sorrow.
One should next consider the effects of pleasure. And about this point, four queries are raised. (1) Whether enlarging belongs to pleasure. (2) Whether pleasure causes thirst or longing for itself. (3) Whether pleasure hinders the use of reason. (4) Whether pleasure completes activity.
One should next consider fear, first, and daring, second. About fear, there are four points that should be considered. First, fear itself; second, its object; third, its cause; fourth, its effect.
About the first point, four queries are raised. (1) Whether fear is a passion of the soul. (2) Whether it is a specific passion. (3) Whether there is a natural fear. (4) On the species of fear.
One should next consider the goodness and evilness of pain or sorrow. And about this point, four queries are raised. (1) Whether every sorrow is evil. (2) Whether it can be a noble good (bonum honestum). (3) Whether it can be a useful good. (4) Whether the body’s pain is the height of evil.
One should next consider pain and sorrow. And about this matter, one should first consider sorrow or pain in itself; second, its causes; third, its effects; fourth, its remedies; fifth, its goodness or evilness.
About the first point, eight queries are raised. (1) Whether pain is a passion of the soul. (2) Whether sorrow is the same as pain. (3) Whether sorrow or pain is contrary to pleasure. (4) Whether every sorrow is contrary to every pleasure. (5) Whether there is a sorrow that is contrary to the pleasure of contemplation. (6) Whether sorrow is to be fled more than pleasure is to be desired. (7) Whether exterior pain is greater than interior pain. (8) On the species of sorrow.
One should next consider pleasure and sorrow. About pleasure, four points should be considered: first, pleasure in itself; second, the causes of pleasure; third, its effects; fourth, its goodness and evilness. About the first point, eight queries are raised. (1) Whether pleasure is a passion. (2) Whether it exists in time. (3) Whether it differs from joy. (4) Whether it is in the intellectual appetite. (5) On a comparison of pleasures of the higher appetite to the pleasure of the lower appetite. (6) On a comparison of sensible pleasures to one another. (7) Whether any pleasure is non-natural. (8) Whether pleasure can be contrary to pleasure.
One should next consider the effects of love. And about this six queries are raised. (1) Whether union is an effect of love. (2) Whether mutual indwelling is. (3) Whether ecstasy is an effect of love. (4) Whether zeal is. (5) Whether love is a passion that wounds the lover. (6) Whether love is the cause of everything that the lover does.
One should next consider hatred. About this point, six queries are raised. (1) Whether the cause and object of hatred is evil. (2) Whether hatred is caused by love. (3) Whether hatred is stronger than love. (4) Whether a person can hate himself. (5) Whether a person can hate the truth. (6) Whether something can be hated universally.
One should next consider the goodness and evilness of pleasures. And about this point, four queries are raised. (1) Whether every pleasure is evil. (2) Granting that not [every pleasure is evil], whether every pleasure is good. (3) Whether some pleasure is the best thing (optimum). (4) Whether pleasure is the measure or rule according to which one judges good and evil in moral matters.
One should next consider the cause that produces anger, and its remedies. About this point, four queries are raised. (1) Whether the motive of anger is always something done against the one who is angered. (2) Whether slight or contempt is the only motive of anger. (3) On the cause of anger on the part of one who is angered. (4) On the cause of anger on the part of the person against whom one is angered.
One should next consider the passions of the Energizing Power. First, hope and despair; second, fear and daring; third, anger. About the first point, eight queries are raised. (1) Whether hope is the same as longing or covetous desire. (2) Whether hope is in the apprehensive power or in the appetitive power. (3) Whether hope exists in brute animals. (4) Whether despair is contrary to hope. (5) Whether experience is a cause of hope. (6) Whether hope abounds in young men and drunkards. (7) On the ordering of hope to love. (8) Whether hope adds to activity.
One should next consider the ordering of the passions to one another. About this point, four queries are raised. (1) On the ordering of the passions of the Energizing Power to the passions of the Desiring Power. (2) On the ordering of the passions of the Desiring Power to one another. (3) On the ordering of the passions of the Energizing Power to one another. (4) On the four principal passions.
One should next consider desire (concupiscentia). About this point, four queries are raised. (1) Whether desire is only in the sensitive appetite. (2) Whether desire is a specific passion. (3) Whether there are some natural desires, and some that are not natural. (4) Whether desire is infinite.
One should next consider anger. And first, anger in itself; second, the cause that brings about anger (causa factiva irae) and its remedy; third, its effect. About the first point, eight queries are raised. (1) Whether anger is a specific passion. (2) Whether the object of anger is good or an evil. (3) Whether anger is in the Desiring Power. (4) Whether anger is accompanied by reason. (5) Whether anger is more natural than desire. (6) Whether anger is weightier than hatred. (7) Whether anger is directed only toward those with respect to whom there is justice. (8) On the species of anger.
One should next consider the remedies for pain or sorrow. And about this point, five queries are raised. (1) Whether pain or sorrow is soothed by any pleasure whatever. (2) Whether it is soothed by weeping. (3) Whether [it is soothed by] the compassion of friends. (4) Whether [it is soothed by] the contemplation of truth. (5) Whether [it is soothed by] sleep and warm baths.