Monday, June 28, 2010

1a 2ae q38 a3: Whether pain or sadness are assuaged by the sympathy of friends? Yes.

Naturaliter amicus condolens in tristitiis, est consolativus, quia per hoc quod amici contristantur ei, percipit se ab eis amari: quod est delectabile, ut supra dictum est.

When one is in pain, it is natural that the sympathy of a friend should afford consolation, because when a man's friends console him, he sees that he is loved by them: and this affords him pleasure, as stated above (q32 a5).

Unde, cum omnis delectatio mitiget tristitiam, sicut supra dictum est, sequitur quod amicus condolens tristitiam mitiget.

Consequently, since every pleasure assuages pain, as stated above (q38 a1), it follows that pain is mitigated by a sympathizing friend.

Philosophus dicit, in IX Ethic., quod in tristitiis amicus condolens consolatur.

The Philosopher says (Ethic. ix, 11) that those who are in pain are consoled when their friends sympathize with them.