Sunday, August 15, 2010

1a 2ae q47 a4: Whether a person's defect is a reason for being more easily angry with him? Yes.

Defectus vel parvitas eius contra quem irascimur, facit ad augmentum irae, inquantum auget indignam despectionem, quia indigna despectio est maxime provocativa irae.

Deficiency or littleness in the person with whom we are angry, tends to increase our anger, insofar as it adds to the unmeritedness of being despised, because unmerited contempt more than anything else is provocative of anger.

Philosophus dicit, in II Rhetoric., quod "dives irascitur contra pauperem, si eum despiciat; et principans contra subiectum".

The Philosopher says (Rhet. ii, 2) that "the rich man is angry with the poor man, if the latter despise him; and in like manner the prince is angry with his subject."

Si vero parvitas vel defectus diminuat despectionem indignam, talis parvitas non auget, sed diminuit iram. Et hoc modo illi qui poenitent de iniuriis factis, et confitentur se male fecisse, et humiliantur et veniam petunt, mitigant iram, secundum illud Prov. XV, "responsio mollis frangit iram", inquantum scilicet tales videntur non despicere, sed magis magnipendere eos quibus se humiliant.

If, however, the littleness or deficiency lessens the unmerited contempt, then such littleness does not increase but lessens anger. In this way those who repent of their ill-deeds, and confess that they have done wrong, who humble themselves and ask pardon, mitigate anger, according to Proverbs 15:1: "A mild answer breaketh wrath": because, to wit, they seem not to despise, but rather to think much of those before whom they humble themselves.

Etiam despectio quae est ab amicis, videtur esse magis indigna. Et ideo ex simili causa magis irascimur contra eos, si despiciant, vel nocendo vel non iuvando, sicut et contra minores.

But to be despised by one's friends seems also a greater indignity. Consequently if they despise us by hurting or by failing to help, we are angry with them for the same reason for which we are angry with those who are beneath us.