Whether the Angel Loves Himself with Both Natural Love, and Love of
Choice?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angel does not love himself both
with natural love and a love of choice. For, as was said (A. 2),
natural love regards the end itself; while love of choice regards the
means to the end. But the same thing, with regard to the same, cannot
be both the end and a means to the end. Therefore natural love and the
love of choice cannot have the same object.
Obj. 2: Further, as Dionysius observes (Div. Nom. iv): "Love is a
uniting and a binding power." But uniting and binding imply various
things brought together. Therefore the angel cannot love himself.
Obj. 3: Further, love is a kind of movement. But every movement
tends towards something else. Therefore it seems that an angel
cannot love himself with either natural or elective love.
_On the contrary,_ The Philosopher says (Ethic. ix, 8): "Love for
others comes of love for oneself."
_I answer that,_ Since the object of love is good, and good is to be
found both in substance and in accident, as is clear from _Ethic._ i,
6, a thing may be loved in two ways; first of all as a subsisting
good; and secondly as an accidental or inherent good. That is loved
as a subsisting good, which is so loved that we wish well to it. But
that which we wish unto another, is loved as an accidental or
inherent good: thus knowledge is loved, not that any good may come to
it but that it may be possessed. This kind of love has been called by
the name "concupiscence" while the first is called "friendship."
Now it is manifest that in things devoid of knowledge, everything
naturally seeks to procure what is good for itself; as fire seeks to
mount upwards. Consequently both angel and man naturally seek their
own good and perfection. This is to love self. Hence angel and man
naturally love self, in so far as by natural appetite each desires
what is good for self. On the other hand, each loves self with the
love of choice, in so far as from choice he wishes for something
which will benefit himself.
Reply Obj. 1: It is not under the same but under quite different
aspects that an angel or a man loves self with natural and with
elective love, as was observed above.
Reply Obj. 2: As to be one is better than to be united, so there is
more oneness in love which is directed to self than in love which
unites one to others. Dionysius used the terms "uniting" and
"binding" in order to show the derivation of love from self to things
outside self; as uniting is derived from unity.
Reply Obj. 3: As love is an action which remains within the agent, so
also is it a movement which abides within the lover, but does not of
necessity tend towards something else; yet it can be reflected back
upon the lover so that he loves himself; just as knowledge is
reflected back upon the knower, in such a way that he knows himself.
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