Monday, August 09, 2010

1a 2ae q46 a7: Whether anger is only towards those to whom one has an obligation of justice? Yes.

Ad eosdem est ira, ad quos est iustitia et iniustitia, quia inferre vindictam ad iustitiam pertinet, laedere autem aliquem pertinet ad iniustitiam.

Anger is towards those to whom we are just or unjust, because vengeance is an act of justice, and wrong-doing is an act of injustice.

Unde tam ex parte causae, quae est laesio illata ab altero, quam etiam ex parte vindictae, quam appetit iratus, manifestum est quod ad eosdem pertinet ira, ad quos iustitia et iniustitia.

Therefore both on the part of the cause, viz. the harm done by another, and on the part of the vengeance sought by the angry man, it is evident that anger concerns those to whom one is just or unjust.