Whether Anger Is Only Towards Those to Whom One Has an Obligation of
Justice?
Objection 1: It would seem that anger is not only towards those to
whom one has an obligation of justice. For there is no justice
between man and irrational beings. And yet sometimes one is angry
with irrational beings; thus, out of anger, a writer throws away his
pen, or a rider strikes his horse. Therefore anger is not only
towards those to whom one has an obligation of justice.
Obj. 2: Further, "there is no justice towards oneself . . . nor is
there justice towards one's own" (Ethic. v, 6). But sometimes a man
is angry with himself; for instance, a penitent, on account of his
sin; hence it is written (Ps. 4:5): "Be ye angry and sin not."
Therefore anger is not only towards those with whom one has a
relation of justice.
Obj. 3: Further, justice and injustice can be of one man towards an
entire class, or a whole community: for instance, when the state
injures an individual. But anger is not towards a class but only
towards an individual, as the Philosopher states (Rhet. ii, 4).
Therefore properly speaking, anger is not towards those with whom one
is in relation of justice or injustice.
The contrary, however, may be gathered from the Philosopher (Rhet.
ii, 2, 3).
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 6), anger desires evil as being
a means of just vengeance. Consequently, anger is towards those to
whom we are just or unjust: since vengeance is an act of justice, and
wrong-doing is an act of injustice. 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.
Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (A. 4, ad 2), anger, though it follows
an act of reason, can nevertheless be in dumb animals that are devoid
of reason, in so far as through their natural instinct they are moved
by their imagination to something like rational action. Since then in
man there is both reason and imagination, the movement of anger can
be aroused in man in two ways. First, when only his imagination
denounces the injury: and, in this way, man is aroused to a movement
of anger even against irrational and inanimate beings, which movement
is like that which occurs in animals against anything that injures
them. Secondly, by the reason denouncing the injury: and thus,
according to the Philosopher (Rhet. ii, 3), "it is impossible to be
angry with insensible things, or with the dead": both because they
feel no pain, which is, above all, what the angry man seeks in those
with whom he is angry: and because there is no question of vengeance
on them, since they can do us no harm.
Reply Obj. 2: As the Philosopher says (Ethic. v, 11), "metaphorically
speaking there is a certain justice and injustice between a man and
himself," in so far as the reason rules the irascible and
concupiscible parts of the soul. And in this sense a man is said to
be avenged on himself, and consequently, to be angry with himself.
But properly, and in accordance with the nature of things, a man is
never angry with himself.
Reply Obj. 3: The Philosopher (Rhet. ii, 4) assigns as one difference
between hatred and anger, that "hatred may be felt towards a class,
as we hate the entire class of thieves; whereas anger is directed
only towards an individual." The reason is that hatred arises from
our considering a quality as disagreeing with our disposition; and
this may refer to a thing in general or in particular. Anger, on the
other hand, ensues from someone having injured us by his action. Now
all actions are the deeds of individuals: and consequently anger is
always pointed at an individual. When the whole state hurts us, the
whole state is reckoned as one individual [*Cf. Q. 29, A. 6].
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