Friday, August 06, 2010

1a 2ae q46 a4: Whether anger requires an act of reason? Yes.

Ira est quodammodo cum ratione quia sicut dicitur in VII Ethic., ira audit aliqualiter rationem, sicut nuntiantem quod iniuriatum est ei, sed non perfecte audit, quia non observat regulam rationis in rependendo vindictam.

Anger, in a fashion, requires an act of reason, because as stated in Ethic. vii, 6, "anger listens somewhat to reason" insofar as reason denounces the injury inflicted, "but listens not perfectly," because it does not observe the rule of reason as to the measure of vengeance.

Ad iram ergo requiritur aliquis actus rationis; et additur impedimentum rationis. Unde philosophus dicit, in libro de Problemat., quod illi qui sunt multum ebrii, tanquam nihil habentes de iudicio rationis, non irascuntur, sed quando sunt parum ebrii, irascuntur, tanquam habentes iudicium rationis, sed impeditum.

Anger, therefore, requires an act of reason; and yet proves a hindrance to reason. Wherefore the Philosopher says (De Problem. iii, 2,27) that those who are very drunk, so as to be incapable of the use of reason, do not get angry, but those who are slightly drunk, do get angry, through being still able, though hampered, to form a judgment of reason.