Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that sloth is not a sin. For we are neither praised nor blamed for our passions, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 5). Now sloth is a passion, since it is a kind of sorrow, according to Damascene (De Fide Orth. ii, 14), and as we stated above (1.2, Question 35, Article 8). Therefore sloth is not a sin.

Objection 2: Further, no bodily failing that occurs at fixed times is a sin. But sloth is like this, for Cassian says (De Instit. Monast. x, ): "The monk is troubled with sloth chiefly about the sixth hour: it is like an intermittent fever, and inflicts the soul of the one it lays low with burning fires at regular and fixed intervals." Therefore sloth is not a sin.

Objection 3: Further, that which proceeds from a good root is, seemingly, no sin. Now sloth proceeds from a good root, for Cassian says (De Instit. Monast. x) that "sloth arises from the fact that we sigh at being deprived of spiritual fruit, and think that other monasteries and those which are a long way off are much better than the one we dwell in": all of which seems to point to humility. Therefore sloth is not a sin.

Objection 4: Further, all sin is to be avoided, according to Ecclus. 21:2: "Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent." Now Cassian says (De Instit. Monast. x): "Experience shows that the onslaught of sloth is not to be evaded by flight but to be conquered by resistance." Therefore sloth is not a sin.

On the contrary, Whatever is forbidden in Holy Writ is a sin. Now such is sloth : for it is written (Ecclus. 6:26): "Bow down thy shoulder, and bear her," namely spiritual wisdom, "and be not grieved with her bands." Therefore sloth is a sin.

I answer that, Sloth, according to Damascene (De Fide Orth. ii, 14) is an oppressive sorrow, which, to wit, so weighs upon man's mind, that he wants to do nothing; thus acid things are also cold. Hence sloth implies a certain weariness of work, as appears from a gloss on Ps. 106:18, "Their soul abhorred all manner of meat," and from the definition of some who say that sloth is a "sluggishness of the mind which neglects to begin good."

Now this sorrow is always evil, sometimes in itself, sometimes in its effect. For sorrow is evil in itself when it is about that which is apparently evil but good in reality, even as, on the other hand, pleasure is evil if it is about that which seems to be good but is, in truth, evil. Since, then, spiritual good is a good in very truth, sorrow about spiritual good is evil in itself. And yet that sorrow also which is about a real evil, is evil in its effect, if it so oppresses man as to draw him away entirely from good deeds. Hence the Apostle (2 Cor. 2:7) did not wish those who repented to be "swallowed up with overmuch sorrow."

Accordingly, since sloth, as we understand it here, denotes sorrow for spiritual good, it is evil on two counts, both in itself and in point of its effect. Consequently it is a sin, for by sin we mean an evil movement of the appetite, as appears from what has been said above (Question 10, Article 2; 1.2, Question 74, Article 4).

Reply to Objection 1: Passions are not sinful in themselves; but they are blameworthy in so far as they are applied to something evil, just as they deserve praise in so far as they are applied to something good. Wherefore sorrow, in itself, calls neither for praise nor for blame: whereas moderate sorrow for evil calls for praise, while sorrow for good, and again immoderate sorrow for evil, call for blame. It is in this sense that sloth is said to be a sin.

Reply to Objection 2: The passions of the sensitive appetite may either be venial sins in themselves, or incline the soul to mortal sin. And since the sensitive appetite has a bodily organ, it follows that on account of some bodily transmutation a man becomes apt to commit some particular sin. Hence it may happen that certain sins may become more insistent, through certain bodily transmutations occurring at certain fixed times. Now all bodily effects, of themselves, dispose one to sorrow; and thus it is that those who fast are harassed by sloth towards mid-day, when they begin to feel the want of food, and to be parched by the sun's heat.

Reply to Objection 3: It is a sign of humility if a man does not think too much of himself, through observing his own faults; but if a man contemns the good things he has received from God, this, far from being a proof of humility, shows him to be ungrateful: and from such like contempt results sloth, because we sorrow for things that we reckon evil and worthless. Accordingly we ought to think much of the goods of others, in such a way as not to disparage those we have received ourselves, because if we did they would give us sorrow.

Reply to Objection 4: Sin is ever to be shunned, but the assaults of sin should be overcome, sometimes by flight, sometimes by resistance; by flight when a continued thought increases the incentive to sin, as in lust; for which reason it is written (1 Cor. 6:18): "Fly fornication"; by resistance, when perseverance in the thought diminishes the incentive to sin, which incentive arises from some trivial consideration. This is the case with sloth, because the more we think about spiritual goods, the more pleasing they become to us, and forthwith sloth dies away.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod acedia non sit peccatum.

Passionibus enim non laudamur neque vituperamur; secundum philosophum, in II ethic..

Sed acedia est quaedam passio, est enim species tristitiae, ut Damascenus dicit, et supra habitum est.

Ergo acedia non est peccatum.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, nullus defectus corporalis qui statutis horis accidit habet rationem peccati. Sed acedia est huiusmodi, dicit enim cassianus, in X Lib. De institutis monasteriorum, maxime acedia circa horam sextam monachum inquietat, ut quaedam febris ingruens tempore praestituto, ardentissimos aestus accensionum suarum solitis ac statutis horis animae inferens aegrotanti.

Ergo acedia non est peccatum.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, illud quod ex radice bona procedit non videtur esse peccatum. Sed acedia ex bona radice procedit, dicit enim cassianus, in eodem libro, quod acedia provenit ex hoc quod aliquis ingemiscit se fructum spiritualem non habere, et absentia longeque posita magnificat monasteria; quod videtur ad humilitatem pertinere.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, omne peccatum est fugiendum, secundum illud Eccli. XXI, quasi a facie colubri, fuge peccatum.

Sed cassianus dicit, in eodem libro, experimento probatum est acediae impugnationem non declinando fugiendam, sed resistendo superandam.

Ergo acedia non est peccatum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra, illud quod interdicitur in sacra Scriptura est peccatum. Sed acedia est huiusmodi, dicitur enim Eccli. VI, subiice humerum tuum et porta illam, idest spiritualem sapientiam, et non acedieris in vinculis eius.

Ergo acedia est peccatum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod acedia, secundum Damascenum, est quaedam tristitia aggravans, quae scilicet ita deprimit animum hominis ut nihil ei agere libeat; sicuti ea quae sunt acida etiam frigida sunt. Et ideo acedia importat quoddam taedium operandi, ut patet per hoc quod dicitur in Glossa super illud psalm., omnem escam abominata est anima eorum; et a quibusdam dicitur quod acedia est torpor mentis bona negligentis inchoare.

Huiusmodi autem tristitia semper est mala, quandoque quidem etiam secundum seipsam; quandoque vero secundum effectum.

Tristitia enim secundum se mala est quae est de eo quod est apparens malum et vere bonum, sicut e contrario delectatio mala est quae est de eo quod est apparens bonum et vere malum.

Cum igitur spirituale bonum sit vere bonum, tristitia quae est de spirituali bono est secundum se mala. Sed etiam tristitia quae est de vere malo mala est secundum effectum si sic hominem aggravet ut eum totaliter a bono opere retrahat, unde et apostolus, II ad Cor. II, non vult ut poenitens maiori tristitia de peccato absorbeatur.

Quia igitur acedia, secundum quod hic sumitur, nominat tristitiam spiritualis boni, est dupliciter mala, et secundum se et secundum effectum. Et ideo acedia est peccatum, malum enim in motibus appetitivis dicimus esse peccatum, ut ex supradictis patet.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod passiones secundum se non sunt peccata, sed secundum quod applicantur ad aliquod malum, vituperantur; sicut et laudantur ex hoc quod applicantur ad aliquod bonum. Unde tristitia secundum se non nominat nec aliquid laudabile nec vituperabile, sed tristitia de malo vero moderata nominat aliquid laudabile; tristitia autem de bono, et iterum tristitia immoderata, nominat aliquid vituperabile.

Et secundum hoc acedia ponitur peccatum.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod passiones appetitus sensitivi et in se possunt esse peccata venialia, et inclinant animam ad peccatum mortale. Et quia appetitus sensitivus habet organum corporale, sequitur quod per aliquam corporalem transmutationem homo fit habilior ad aliquod peccatum. Et ideo potest contingere quod secundum aliquas transmutationes corporales certis temporibus provenientes aliqua peccata nos magis impugnent. Omnis autem corporalis defectus de se ad tristitiam disponit. Et ideo ieiunantes, circa meridiem, quando iam incipiunt sentire defectum cibi et urgeri ab aestibus solis, magis ab acedia impugnantur.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod ad humilitatem pertinet ut homo, defectus proprios considerans, seipsum non extollat. Sed hoc non pertinet ad humilitatem, sed potius ad ingratitudinem, quod bona quae quis a deo possidet contemnat. Et ex tali contemptu sequitur acedia, de his enim tristamur quae quasi mala vel vilia reputamus. Sic igitur necesse est ut aliquis aliorum bona extollat quod tamen bona sibi divinitus provisa non contemnat, quia sic ei tristia redderentur.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod peccatum semper est fugiendum, sed impugnatio peccati quandoque est vincenda fugiendo, quandoque resistendo. Fugiendo quidem, quando continua cogitatio auget peccati incentivum, sicut est in luxuria, unde dicitur I ad Cor. VI, fugite fornicationem.

Resistendo autem, quando cogitatio perseverans tollit incentivum peccati, quod provenit ex aliqua levi apprehensione. Et hoc contingit in acedia, quia quanto magis cogitamus de bonis spiritualibus, tanto magis nobis placentia redduntur; ex quo cessat acedia.