Whether Any Passion Is in the Soul?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is no passion in the soul.
Because passivity belongs to matter. But the soul is not composed of
matter and form, as stated in the First Part (Q. 75, A. 5). Therefore
there is no passion in the soul.
Obj. 2: Further, passion is movement, as is stated in _Phys._ iii, 3.
But the soul is not moved, as is proved in _De Anima_ i, 3. Therefore
passion is not in the soul.
Obj. 3: Further, passion is the road to corruption; since "every
passion, when increased, alters the substance," as is stated in
_Topic._ vi, 6. But the soul is incorruptible. Therefore no passion
is in the soul.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Rom. 7:5): "When we were in the
flesh, the passions of sins which were by the law, did the work in
our members." Now sins are, properly speaking, in the soul. Therefore
passions also, which are described as being "of sins," are in the
soul.
_I answer that,_ The word "passive" is used in three ways. First, in
a general way, according as whatever receives something is passive,
although nothing is taken from it: thus we may say that the air is
passive when it is lit up. But this is to be perfected rather than to
be passive. Secondly, the word "passive" is employed in its proper
sense, when something is received, while something else is taken
away: and this happens in two ways. For sometimes that which is lost
is unsuitable to the thing: thus when an animal's body is healed, and
loses sickness. At other times the contrary occurs: thus to ail is to
be passive; because the ailment is received and health is lost. And
here we have passion in its most proper acceptation. For a thing is
said to be passive from its being drawn to the agent: and when a
thing recedes from what is suitable to it, then especially does it
appear to be drawn to something else. Moreover in _De Generat._ i, 3
it is stated that when a more excellent thing is generated from a
less excellent, we have generation simply, and corruption in a
particular respect: whereas the reverse is the case, when from a more
excellent thing, a less excellent is generated. In these three ways
it happens that passions are in the soul. For in the sense of mere
reception, we speak of "feeling and understanding as being a kind of
passion" (De Anima i, 5). But passion, accompanied by the loss of
something, is only in respect of a bodily transmutation; wherefore
passion properly so called cannot be in the soul, save accidentally,
in so far, to wit, as the _composite_ is passive. But here again we
find a difference; because when this transmutation is for the worse,
it has more of the nature of a passion, than when it is for the
better: hence sorrow is more properly a passion than joy.
Reply Obj. 1: It belongs to matter to be passive in such a way as to
lose something and to be transmuted: hence this happens only in those
things that are composed of matter and form. But passivity, as
implying mere reception, need not be in matter, but can be in
anything that is in potentiality. Now, though the soul is not
composed of matter and form, yet it has something of potentiality, in
respect of which it is competent to receive or to be passive,
according as the act of understanding is a kind of passion, as stated
in _De Anima_ iii, 4.
Reply Obj. 2: Although it does not belong to the soul in
itself to be passive and to be moved, yet it belongs accidentally as
stated in _De Anima_ i, 3.
Reply Obj. 3: This argument is true of passion accompanied by
transmutation to something worse. And passion, in this sense, is not
found in the soul, except accidentally: but the composite, which is
corruptible, admits of it by reason of its own nature.
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