Whether Fearlessness Is a Sin?
Objection 1: It seems that fearlessness is not a sin. For that which
is reckoned to the praise of a just man is not a sin. Now it is
written in praise of the just man (Prov. 28:1): "The just, bold as a
lion, shall be without dread." Therefore it is not a sin to be
without fear.
Obj. 2: Further, nothing is so fearful as death, according to the
Philosopher (Ethic. iii, 6). Yet one ought not to fear even death,
according to Matt. 10:28, "Fear ye not them that kill the body,"
etc., nor anything that can be inflicted by man, according to Isa.
51:12, "Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal man?"
Therefore it is not a sin to be fearless.
Obj. 3: Further, fear is born of love, as stated above (Q. 125, A.
2). Now it belongs to the perfection of virtue to love nothing
earthly, since according to Augustine (De Civ. Dei xiv), "the love of
God to the abasement of self makes us citizens of the heavenly city."
Therefore it is seemingly not a sin to fear nothing earthly.
_On the contrary,_ It is said of the unjust judge (Luke 18:2) that
"he feared not God nor regarded man."
_I answer that,_ Since fear is born of love, we must seemingly judge
alike of love and fear. Now it is here a question of that fear
whereby one dreads temporal evils, and which results from the love of
temporal goods. And every man has it instilled in him by nature to
love his own life and whatever is directed thereto; and to do so in
due measure, that is, to love these things not as placing his end
therein, but as things to be used for the sake of his last end. Hence
it is contrary to the natural inclination, and therefore a sin, to
fall short of loving them in due measure. Nevertheless, one never
lapses entirely from this love: since what is natural cannot be
wholly lost: for which reason the Apostle says (Eph. 5:29): "No man
ever hated his own flesh." Wherefore even those that slay themselves
do so from love of their own flesh, which they desire to free from
present stress. Hence it may happen that a man fears death and other
temporal evils less than he ought, for the reason that he loves them*
less than he ought. [*Viz. the contrary goods. One would expect 'se'
instead of 'ea.' We should then read: For the reason that he loves
himself less than he ought.] But that he fear none of these things
cannot result from an entire lack of love, but only from the fact
that he thinks it impossible for him to be afflicted by the evils
contrary to the goods he loves. This is sometimes the result of pride
of soul presuming on self and despising others, according to the
saying of Job 41:24, 25: "He [Vulg.: 'who'] was made to fear no one,
he beholdeth every high thing": and sometimes it happens through a
defect in the reason; thus the Philosopher says (Ethic. iii, 7) that
the "Celts, through lack of intelligence, fear nothing." [*"A man
would deserve to be called insane and senseless if there were nothing
that he feared, not even an earthquake nor a storm at sea, as is said
to be the case with the Celts."] It is therefore evident that
fearlessness is a vice, whether it result from lack of love, pride of
soul, or dullness of understanding: yet the latter is excused from
sin if it be invincible.
Reply Obj. 1: The just man is praised for being without fear that
withdraws him from good; not that he is altogether fearless, for it
is written (Ecclus. 1:28): "He that is without fear cannot be
justified."
Reply Obj. 2: Death and whatever else can be inflicted by mortal man
are not to be feared so that they make us forsake justice: but they
are to be feared as hindering man in acts of virtue, either as
regards himself, or as regards the progress he may cause in others.
Hence it is written (Prov. 14:16): "A wise man feareth and declineth
from evil."
Reply Obj. 3: Temporal goods are to be despised as hindering us from
loving and serving God, and on the same score they are not to be
feared; wherefore it is written (Ecclus. 34:16): "He that feareth the
Lord shall tremble at nothing." But temporal goods are not to be
despised, in so far as they are helping us instrumentally to attain
those things that pertain to Divine fear and love.
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