Whether the Species of Gluttony Are Fittingly Distinguished?
Objection 1: It seems that the species of gluttony are unfittingly
distinguished by Gregory who says (Moral. xxx, 18): "The vice of
gluttony tempts us in five ways. Sometimes it forestalls the hour of
need; sometimes it seeks costly meats; sometimes it requires the food
to be daintily cooked; sometimes it exceeds the measure of
refreshment by taking too much; sometimes we sin by the very heat of
an immoderate appetite"--which are contained in the following verse:
"Hastily, sumptuously, too much, greedily, daintily."
For the above are distinguished according to diversity of
circumstance. Now circumstances, being the accidents of an act, do
not differentiate its species. Therefore the species of gluttony are
not distinguished according to the aforesaid.
Obj. 2: Further, as time is a circumstance, so is place. If then
gluttony admits of one species in respect of time, it seems that
there should likewise be others in respect of place and other
circumstances.
Obj. 3: Further, just as temperance observes due circumstances, so do
the other moral virtues. Now the species of the vices opposed to the
other moral virtues are not distinguished according to various
circumstances. Neither, therefore, are the species of gluttony
distinguished thus.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Gregory quoted above.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1), gluttony denotes inordinate
concupiscence in eating. Now two things are to be considered in
eating, namely the food we eat, and the eating thereof. Accordingly,
the inordinate concupiscence may be considered in two ways. First,
with regard to the food consumed: and thus, as regards the substance
or species of food a man seeks "sumptuous"--i.e. costly food; as
regards its quality, he seeks food prepared too nicely--i.e.
"daintily"; and as regards quantity, he exceeds by eating "too much."
Secondly, the inordinate concupiscence is considered as to the
consumption of food: either because one forestalls the proper time
for eating, which is to eat "hastily," or one fails to observe the
due manner of eating, by eating "greedily."
Isidore [*De Summo Bon. ii, 42] comprises the first and second under
one heading, when he says that the glutton exceeds in "what" he eats,
or in "how much," "how" or "when he eats."
Reply Obj. 1: The corruption of various circumstances causes the
various species of gluttony, on account of the various motives, by
reason of which the species of moral things are differentiated. For
in him that seeks sumptuous food, concupiscence is aroused by the
very species of the food; in him that forestalls the time
concupiscence is disordered through impatience of delay, and so forth.
Reply Obj. 2: Place and other circumstances include no special motive
connected with eating, that can cause a different species of gluttony.
Reply Obj. 3: In all other vices, whenever different circumstances
correspond to different motives, the difference of circumstances
argues a specific difference of vice: but this does not apply to all
circumstances, as stated above (I-II, Q. 72, A. 9).
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