Whether Cruelty Is Opposed to Clemency?
Objection 1: It would seem that cruelty is not opposed to clemency.
For Seneca says (De Clementia ii, 4) that "those are said to be cruel
who exceed in punishing," which is contrary to justice. Now clemency
is reckoned a part, not of justice but of temperance. Therefore
apparently cruelty is not opposed to clemency.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Jer. 6:23): "They are cruel, and will
have no mercy"; so that cruelty would seem opposed to mercy. Now
mercy is not the same as clemency, as stated above (Q. 157, A. 4, ad
3). Therefore cruelty is not opposed to clemency.
Obj. 3: Further, clemency is concerned with the infliction of
punishment, as stated above (Q. 157, A. 1): whereas cruelty applies
to the withdrawal of beneficence, according to Prov. 11:17, "But he
that is cruel casteth off even his own kindred." Therefore cruelty is
not opposed to clemency.
_On the contrary,_ Seneca says (De Clementia ii, 4) that "the
opposite of clemency is cruelty, which is nothing else but hardness
of heart in exacting punishment."
_I answer that,_ Cruelty apparently takes its name from _cruditas_
(rawness). Now just as things when cooked and prepared are wont to
have an agreeable and sweet savor, so when raw they have a
disagreeable and bitter taste. Now it has been stated above (Q. 157,
A. 3, ad 1; A. 4, ad 3) that clemency denotes a certain smoothness or
sweetness of soul, whereby one is inclined to mitigate punishment.
Hence cruelty is directly opposed to clemency.
Reply Obj. 1: Just as it belongs to equity to mitigate punishment
according to reason, while the sweetness of soul which inclines one
to this belongs to clemency: so too, excess in punishing, as regards
the external action, belongs to injustice; but as regards the
hardness of heart, which makes one ready to increase punishment,
belongs to cruelty.
Reply Obj. 2: Mercy and clemency concur in this, that both
shun and recoil from another's unhappiness, but in different ways. For
it belongs to mercy [*Cf. Q. 30, A. 1] to relieve another's
unhappiness by a beneficent action, while it belongs to clemency to
mitigate another's unhappiness by the cessation of punishment. And
since cruelty denotes excess in exacting punishment, it is more
directly opposed to clemency than to mercy; yet on account of the
mutual likeness of these virtues, cruelty is sometimes taken for
mercilessness.
Reply Obj. 3: Cruelty is there taken for mercilessness, which
is lack of beneficence. We may also reply that withdrawal of
beneficence is in itself a punishment.
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