Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that we ought not to love one neighbor more than another. For Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. i, 28): "One ought to love all men equally. Since, however, one cannot do good to all, we ought to consider those chiefly who by reason of place, time or any other circumstance, by a kind of chance, are more closely united to us." Therefore one neighbor ought not to be loved more than another.

Objection 2: Further, where there is one and the same reason for loving several, there should be no inequality of love. Now there is one and the same reason for loving all one's neighbors, which reason is God, as Augustine states (De Doctr. Christ. i, 27). Therefore we ought to love all our neighbors equally.

Objection 3: Further, to love a man is to wish him good things, as the Philosopher states (Rhet. ii, 4). Now to all our neighbors we wish an equal good, viz. everlasting life. Therefore we ought to love all our neighbors equally.

On the contrary, One's obligation to love a person is proportionate to the gravity of the sin one commits in acting against that love. Now it is a more grievous sin to act against the love of certain neighbors, than against the love of others. Hence the commandment (Lev. 10:9), "He that curseth his father or mother, dying let him die," which does not apply to those who cursed others than the above. Therefore we ought to love some neighbors more than others.

I answer that, There have been two opinions on this question: for some have said that we ought, out of charity, to love all our neighbors equally, as regards our affection, but not as regards the outward effect. They held that the order of love is to be understood as applying to outward favors, which we ought to confer on those who are connected with us in preference to those who are unconnected, and not to the inward affection, which ought to be given equally to all including our enemies.

But this is unreasonable. For the affection of charity, which is the inclination of grace, is not less orderly than the natural appetite, which is the inclination of nature, for both inclinations flow from Divine wisdom. Now we observe in the physical order that the natural inclination in each thing is proportionate to the act or movement that is becoming to the nature of that thing: thus in earth the inclination of gravity is greater than in water, because it is becoming to earth to be beneath water. Consequently the inclination also of grace which is the effect of charity, must needs be proportionate to those actions which have to be performed outwardly, so that, to wit, the affection of our charity be more intense towards those to whom we ought to behave with greater kindness.

We must, therefore, say that, even as regards the affection we ought to love one neighbor more than another. The reason is that, since the principle of love is God, and the person who loves, it must needs be that the affection of love increases in proportion to the nearness to one or the other of those principles. For as we stated above (Article 1), wherever we find a principle, order depends on relation to that principle.

Reply to Objection 1: Love can be unequal in two ways: first on the part of the good we wish our friend. In this respect we love all men equally out of charity: because we wish them all one same generic good, namely everlasting happiness. Secondly love is said to be greater through its action being more intense: and in this way we ought not to love all equally.

Or we may reply that we have unequal love for certain persons in two ways: first, through our loving some and not loving others. As regards beneficence we are bound to observe this inequality, because we cannot do good to all: but as regards benevolence, love ought not to be thus unequal. The other inequality arises from our loving some more than others: and Augustine does not mean to exclude the latter inequality, but the former, as is evident from what he says of beneficence.

Reply to Objection 2: Our neighbors are not all equally related to God; some are nearer to Him, by reason of their greater goodness, and those we ought, out of charity, to love more than those who are not so near to Him.

Reply to Objection 3: This argument considers the quantity of love on the part of the good which we wish our friends.

Articulus 6

Argumentum 1

Ad sextum sic proceditur. Videtur quod unus proximus non sit magis diligendus quam alius.

Dicit enim Augustinus, in I de doct. Christ., omnes homines aeque diligendi sunt. Sed cum omnibus prodesse non possis, his potissimum consulendum est qui pro locorum et temporum vel quarumlibet rerum opportunitatibus, constrictius tibi quasi quadam sorte iunguntur.

Ergo proximorum unus non est magis diligendus quam alius.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, ubi una et eadem est ratio diligendi diversos, non debet esse inaequalis dilectio. Sed una est ratio diligendi omnes proximos, scilicet deus; ut patet per Augustinum, in I de doct. Christ..

Ergo omnes proximos aequaliter diligere debemus.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, amare est velle bonum alicui; ut patet per philosophum, in II rhet..

Sed omnibus proximis aequale bonum volumus, scilicet vitam aeternam. Ergo omnes proximos aequaliter debemus diligere.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod tanto unusquisque magis debet diligi, quanto gravius peccat qui contra eius dilectionem operatur.

Sed gravius peccat qui agit contra dilectionem aliquorum proximorum quam qui agit contra dilectionem aliorum, unde Levit. XX praecipitur quod qui maledixerit patri aut matri, morte moriatur, quod non praecipitur de his qui alios homines maledicunt.

Ergo quosdam proximorum magis debemus diligere quam alios.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod circa hoc fuit duplex opinio. Quidam enim dixerunt quod omnes proximi sunt aequaliter ex caritate diligendi quantum ad affectum, sed non quantum ad exteriorem effectum; ponentes ordinem dilectionis esse intelligendum secundum exteriora beneficia, quae magis debemus impendere proximis quam alienis; non autem secundum interiorem affectum, quem aequaliter debemus impendere omnibus, etiam inimicis.

Sed hoc irrationabiliter dicitur. Non enim minus est ordinatus affectus caritatis, qui est inclinatio gratiae, quam appetitus naturalis, qui est inclinatio naturae, utraque enim inclinatio ex divina sapientia procedit. Videmus autem in naturalibus quod inclinatio naturalis proportionatur actui vel motui qui convenit naturae uniuscuiusque, sicut terra habet maiorem inclinationem gravitatis quam aqua, quia competit ei esse sub aqua. Oportet igitur quod etiam inclinatio gratiae, quae est affectus caritatis, proportionetur his quae sunt exterius agenda, ita scilicet ut ad eos intensiorem caritatis affectum habeamus quibus convenit nos magis beneficos esse.

Et ideo dicendum est quod etiam secundum affectum oportet magis unum proximorum quam alium diligere. Et ratio est quia, cum principium dilectionis sit deus et ipse diligens, necesse est quod secundum propinquitatem maiorem ad alterum istorum principiorum maior sit dilectionis affectus, sicut enim supra dictum est, in omnibus in quibus invenitur aliquod principium, ordo attenditur secundum comparationem ad illud principium.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod dilectio potest esse inaequalis dupliciter. Uno modo, ex parte eius boni quod amico optamus.

Et quantum ad hoc, omnes homines aeque diligimus ex caritate, quia omnibus optamus bonum idem in genere, scilicet beatitudinem aeternam. Alio modo dicitur maior dilectio propter intensiorem actum dilectionis. Et sic non oportet omnes aeque diligere.

Vel aliter dicendum quod dilectio inaequaliter potest ad aliquos haberi dupliciter. Uno modo, ex eo quod quidam diliguntur et alii non diliguntur. Et hanc inaequalitatem oportet servare in beneficentia, quia non possumus omnibus prodesse, sed in benevolentia dilectionis talis inaequalitas haberi non debet. Alia vero est inaequalitas dilectionis ex hoc quod quidam plus aliis diliguntur.

Augustinus ergo non intendit hanc excludere inaequalitatem, sed primam, ut patet ex his quae de beneficentia dicit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod non omnes proximi aequaliter se habent ad deum, sed quidam sunt ei propinquiores, propter maiorem bonitatem. Qui sunt magis diligendi ex caritate quam alii, qui sunt ei minus propinqui.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod ratio illa procedit de quantitate dilectionis ex parte boni quod amicis optamus.