Aquinas on Fear

1. Aquinas on Fear Dr. Michael K. Green

2. Passions • Passions regarding evils or harms • Sorrows—present evils • Fear—future evils • Passion directed toward the future • Hope—future good, difficult ,but possible to obtain • Desire for good • Fear—future evil, difficult, and irresistible (unavoidable, not easy to avoid)

3. Fear • Avoidance of evil • an evil to come • near at hand • difficult to avoid

4. Fear • Suddenness • fear of a future evil is diminished by thinking about it beforehand • deprive him of the remedies with which he might otherwise provide himself to forestall the coming evil

5. Fear • Causes of fear • In respect to its object: Love causes fear • it is through his loving a certain good, that whatever deprives a man of that good is an evil to him, and that consequently he fears it as an evil. • In respect to the subject: Person is fearful • owing to some lack of power that one is unable easily to repulse a threatening evil. • Power of thing feared surpasses the power of him that fears • Element of uncontrollability • Extrinsic cause • Can be repelled, but with difficulty • greatness of the evil • the weakness of him who fears

6. Fear • Hoped for may be both from an intrinsic and from an extrinsic cause • Fear from an extrinsic cause

7. Fear • Types • Corruptive fear—shrinks from something on account of that thing’s natural desire to exist • Natural • Natural death, sickness, etc. • No fear when • Object is remote and far off • Object is inevitable, wherefore we look upon it as already present • Non-Natural • murder • Painful fear—shrinks from something that opposes one’s appetites

8. Fear • Evil in action • Laziness—fear of the toil that burdens his nature • Shame—fear of a action that will create disgrace that damages him in the opinion of others • Shamefacedness—future action • Shame—action already done

9. Fear • Evil in external things • Amazement—a great evil the outcome of which he is unable to gauge • amazement is a beginning of philosophical research • Stupor—some unwonted evil arises before us, and on that account is great in our estimation • stupor is a hindrance to philosophical research • Anxiety—unforeseen future misfortunes

10. Fear • whatever tends to increase evil, conduces to the increase of fear • Now those evils which, after they have come, cannot be remedied at all, or at least not easily, are considered as lasting for ever or for a long time: for which reason they inspire the greatest fear.

11. Fear • fear implies an avoidance of evil • shunned because it deprives one of the good that one pursues through love thereof • whatever increases a man's power, is of a nature to increase hope • experience increases a man's power of action, therefore, as it increases hope, so does it diminish fear.

12. Effects of Fear • Contraction (withdrawal) from the imagined lack of power • more inclined to run away • makes its subject speechless • makes its subject tremble • especially in their speech • lower lip and lower jaw tremble • chattering of the teeth • arms and hands tremble • knees tremble • paleness • loosening of the bowels, and urinary or even seminal evacuation

13. Effects of Fear • Willingness to take counsel • it is in matters of difficulty, especially when we distrust ourselves, that we take counsel, • Usually bad counsel because things seem to him greater or smaller than they really are • Avoid extremes • With intense fear, • man does indeed wish to take counsel, • but his thoughts are so disturbed, that he can find no counsel • With no fear, then a lack of carefulness

14. Effects of Fear • May hinder action • In respect to the instrument of action, the body • always apt to hinder exterior action • In respect to the mover • Moderate fear (without much disturbance of the reason)causes a person to • Take a certain solicitude • Take counsel • Work with greater attention • Intense fear (disturbs the reason) • hinders action even on the part of the mover