Appetites and Virtues
Faculties Appetites and Virtues
• Our Appetites MOVE us • (society) no feelings allowed • (society) “Just do it.”
“No feelings allowed” • Denying emotions causes to “bottle” them up—THEY WILL EXPLODE and harm us and others
“Just do it.” • It’s like an addiction: • At first just one act gives pleasure. Later, the feeling diminishes as we give in more and more.
Concupiscible (QUICK)— • THEY ARE DISORDERED:
Concupiscible (QUICK)— • THEY ARE DISORDERED:
Hope: the feeling • Hope = desire with a possibility of success – When we want something that is not possible, we can either fall into despair, or do something bad to make it happen – (i.e. rob a bank)
• Despair= desire with NO possibility of success – When we are afraid to do what takes when something is possible, we WRONGLY fall into despair – Some things are not possible—do not despair beyond the reason for despairing
The Will perfected by Justice • We tend to think of Justice as “what you owe me” • Justice is not what I deserve, but what OTHERS deserve. • God can punish, because He is the one offended though He is Perfectly Innocent • We cannot punish like God, because we are not innocent
The Will perfected by Justice • We must see others (and our responsibilities for them) as God sees them. • How does God see us? – We are the creatures he made! He loves what He makes! – He gave us free will—and HE ALREADY KNOWS we are weak – God never stops loving—even the devil exists because God cannot stop loving him
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Angels: --No body, no emotions, no senses—no steps --outside of time --All knowledge united—one --Their will is one—unending, unchanging choice
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Humans: -- All knowledge comes through senses --Because senses move and attain knowledge step by step --we must move and attain knowledge step by step
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Humans: -- When WE choose, our knowledge is NECESSARILY LIMITED. Therefore our choices are subject to change. --Human choices will become perfect (according to knowledge) at the moment of death because our knowledge will be perfect
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Humans: --Thus our final choice will be perfectly good, or perfectly evil—which will decide our eternal choice
The Will Summarized: • Power of choosing good (real or false) • Angels—unchanging, purely spiritual nature means an unchanging, eternal choice • Humans—changing, growing, learning nature means changing choices until the ultimate choice when our knowledge will be perfect
Justice Perfecting the Will • Fallen nature causes us to misunderstand good—good seen as ME FIRST! ME ONLY! ME! (you wanna see Original Sin in action? Watch a group of 2 year olds together)
• Justice puts every willed good in order: – Yes, I am important but the order is this: • • • •
God Others Me Creation—still important but I cannot harm myself for it’s sake
INTELLECT • The highest power of the soul – IT IS NOT THE BRAIN!!! – What IS the brain?—juicy thing in my skull; sends electrical signals through nervous system—make senses work; controls emotional reactions to those senses – Through the brain the body processes all stimulants—combines with instinct to allow adaptation and change
The INTELLECT • The intellect INCLUDES the powers of the brain, since our knowledge is gained through that “processing system.” • The intellect is a power of the SOUL—this allows us to know not only “stuff,” but relationships between “stuff” • Allows us to seek causes.
Prudence perfects the Intellect • Knowing the right thing to do in the proper circumstances, and being able to do it (wisdom in action) • A very smart person can lack prudence, and thus be VERY UNWISE • Someone who struggles intellectually can be VERY PRUDENT and WISE
Vice (sinful excess) Vice (in defect)
Virtue lies in the Middle (but it’s not compromise).
• Our Appetites MOVE us • (society) no feelings allowed • (society) “Just do it.”
“No feelings allowed” • Denying emotions causes to “bottle” them up—THEY WILL EXPLODE and harm us and others
“Just do it.” • It’s like an addiction: • At first just one act gives pleasure. Later, the feeling diminishes as we give in more and more.
Concupiscible (QUICK)— • THEY ARE DISORDERED:
Concupiscible (QUICK)— • THEY ARE DISORDERED:
Hope: the feeling • Hope = desire with a possibility of success – When we want something that is not possible, we can either fall into despair, or do something bad to make it happen – (i.e. rob a bank)
• Despair= desire with NO possibility of success – When we are afraid to do what takes when something is possible, we WRONGLY fall into despair – Some things are not possible—do not despair beyond the reason for despairing
The Will perfected by Justice • We tend to think of Justice as “what you owe me” • Justice is not what I deserve, but what OTHERS deserve. • God can punish, because He is the one offended though He is Perfectly Innocent • We cannot punish like God, because we are not innocent
The Will perfected by Justice • We must see others (and our responsibilities for them) as God sees them. • How does God see us? – We are the creatures he made! He loves what He makes! – He gave us free will—and HE ALREADY KNOWS we are weak – God never stops loving—even the devil exists because God cannot stop loving him
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Angels: --No body, no emotions, no senses—no steps --outside of time --All knowledge united—one --Their will is one—unending, unchanging choice
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Humans: -- All knowledge comes through senses --Because senses move and attain knowledge step by step --we must move and attain knowledge step by step
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Humans: -- When WE choose, our knowledge is NECESSARILY LIMITED. Therefore our choices are subject to change. --Human choices will become perfect (according to knowledge) at the moment of death because our knowledge will be perfect
What is the WILL? • Power to choose the good (or reject it) The WILL in Humans: --Thus our final choice will be perfectly good, or perfectly evil—which will decide our eternal choice
The Will Summarized: • Power of choosing good (real or false) • Angels—unchanging, purely spiritual nature means an unchanging, eternal choice • Humans—changing, growing, learning nature means changing choices until the ultimate choice when our knowledge will be perfect
Justice Perfecting the Will • Fallen nature causes us to misunderstand good—good seen as ME FIRST! ME ONLY! ME! (you wanna see Original Sin in action? Watch a group of 2 year olds together)
• Justice puts every willed good in order: – Yes, I am important but the order is this: • • • •
God Others Me Creation—still important but I cannot harm myself for it’s sake
INTELLECT • The highest power of the soul – IT IS NOT THE BRAIN!!! – What IS the brain?—juicy thing in my skull; sends electrical signals through nervous system—make senses work; controls emotional reactions to those senses – Through the brain the body processes all stimulants—combines with instinct to allow adaptation and change
The INTELLECT • The intellect INCLUDES the powers of the brain, since our knowledge is gained through that “processing system.” • The intellect is a power of the SOUL—this allows us to know not only “stuff,” but relationships between “stuff” • Allows us to seek causes.
Prudence perfects the Intellect • Knowing the right thing to do in the proper circumstances, and being able to do it (wisdom in action) • A very smart person can lack prudence, and thus be VERY UNWISE • Someone who struggles intellectually can be VERY PRUDENT and WISE
Vice (sinful excess) Vice (in defect)
Virtue lies in the Middle (but it’s not compromise).
