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Anonymous Emmeline wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
I hope that you can answer my question!
I have been reading some excerpts from St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica online. From what I understand (please correct me if I’m wrong), humans have 3 “appetites”:
- the natural appetite
- the sensitive appetite, and
- the rational appetite.
The natural appetite is a human’s natural inclinations (namely, to preserve one’s own life, to reproduce, and to live in society and know God).
My questions about the natural appetite are as follows:
- Are natural inclinations in humans unchanging?
- As a result of the fall, can certain people’s natural inclinations be corrupted?
- If the two above statements are true, how does this pertain to people who wish to harm oneself or others (e.g. suicide or the like) or to people who have unnatural sexual inclinations, etc?
Bonus questions:
- Can angels or demons change or alter people’s natural inclinations?
- Are natural inclinations always conscious (are people always aware of them)?
Thank you so much for reading. If you are able to respond, and it’s not too much trouble, it would mean a lot if you could cite sources for your answers (only because there is so much misinformation online).
Thank you again and God bless you!
Emmeline
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| { Can you answer a few questions for St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica online? } |
Paul replied:
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Dear Emmeline,
My responses are next to your questions in blue:
- Are natural inclinations in humans unchanging?
Yes, in principle.
- As a result of the fall, can certain people’s natural inclinations be corrupted?
No question, yes. Because of the fall, all of us have some disordered inclinations and propensities that we must discipline.
- If the two above statements are true, how does this pertain to people who wish to harm oneself or others (e.g. suicide or the like) or to people who have unnatural sexual inclinations, etc?
The imbalance and disorder of our wounded nature due to original sin leads our passions to desire things that our higher nature rejects as unhealthy or unnatural. This phenomenon prompted St. Paul to lament,
"For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do" (Romans 7:19).
Bonus questions:
- Can angels or demons change or alter people’s natural inclinations?
They can tempt you through the imagination to fall into sin, but can never force your will. Whether demons can be directly responsible for one's disordered desires, I do not know.
- Are natural inclinations always conscious; are people always aware of them?
No. Some are involuntary and unconscious.
Paul
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Eric replied:
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Dear Emmeline,
Can angels or demons change or alter people’s natural inclinations?
They can tempt you through the imagination to fall into sin, but can never force your will. Whether demons can be directly responsible for one's disordered desires, I do not know.
I would argue, forcefully, that they can affect people's inclinations in the sense that they can influence them. Whether this counts as "changing" them I suppose depends on what you mean by change.
For example, a demon of lust can induce sexual feelings and arousal in someone who has consented to his temptations in the past. They can afflict you with disordered desires acutely or chronically (demonic obsession). They could incite you to greed. They can make you desire things you wouldn't otherwise desire. They can't corrupt your fundamental nature themselves, but they can tempt you to consent to temptations that cause you to choose to be like them and become more "demonic". The more you sin, the more you acquire the characteristics of the demons and share in their nature.
--
Eric |
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