Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that discord is not a daughter of vainglory. For anger is a vice distinct from vainglory. Now discord is apparently the daughter of anger, according to Prov. 15:18: "A passionate man stirreth up strifes." Therefore it is not a daughter of vainglory.

Objection 2: Further, Augustine expounding the words of Jn. 7:39, "As yet the Spirit was not given," says (Tract. xxxii) "Malice severs, charity unites." Now discord is merely a separation of wills. Therefore discord arises from malice, i.e. envy, rather than from vainglory.

Objection 3: Further, whatever gives rise to many evils, would seem to be a capital vice. Now such is discord, because Jerome in commenting on Mt. 12:25, "Every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate," says: "Just as concord makes small things thrive, so discord brings the greatest things to ruin." Therefore discord should itself be reckoned a capital vice, rather than a daughter of vainglory.

On the contrary stands the authority of Gregory (Moral. xxxi, 45).

I answer that, Discord denotes a certain disunion of wills, in so far, to wit, as one man's will holds fast to one thing, while the other man's will holds fast to something else. Now if a man's will holds fast to its own ground, this is due to the act that he prefers what is his own to that which belongs to others, and if he do this inordinately, it is due to pride and vainglory. Therefore discord, whereby a man holds to his own way of thinking, and departs from that of others, is reckoned to be a daughter of vainglory.

Reply to Objection 1: Strife is not the same as discord, for strife consists in external deeds, wherefore it is becoming that it should arise from anger, which incites the mind to hurt one's neighbor; whereas discord consists in a divergence in the movements of wills, which arises from pride or vainglory, for the reason given above.

Reply to Objection 2: In discord we may consider that which is the term "wherefrom," i.e. another's will from which we recede, and in this respect it arises from envy; and again we may consider that which is the term "whither," i.e. something of our own to which we cling, and in this respect it is caused by vainglory. And since in every moment the term "whither" is more important than the term "wherefrom" (because the end is of more account than the beginning), discord is accounted a daughter of vainglory rather than of envy, though it may arise from both for different reasons, as stated.

Reply to Objection 3: The reason why concord makes small things thrive, while discord brings the greatest to ruin, is because "the more united a force is, the stronger it is, while the more disunited it is the weaker it becomes" (De Causis xvii). Hence it is evident that this is part of the proper effect of discord which is a disunion of wills, and in no way indicates that other vices arise from discord, as though it were a capital vice.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod discordia non sit filia inanis gloriae. Ira enim est aliud vitium ab inani gloria.

Sed discordia videtur esse filia irae, secundum illud Prov. XV, vir iracundus provocat rixas.

Ergo non est filia inanis gloriae.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, Augustinus dicit, super Ioan., exponens illud quod habetur Ioan. VII, nondum erat spiritus datus, livor separat, caritas iungit.

Sed discordia nihil est aliud quam quaedam separatio voluntatum.

Ergo discordia procedit ex livore, idest invidia, magis quam ex inani gloria.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, illud ex quo multa mala oriuntur videtur esse vitium capitale. Sed discordia est huiusmodi, quia super illud Matth. XII, omne regnum contra se divisum desolabitur, dicit Hieronymus, quo modo concordia parvae res crescunt, sic discordia maximae dilabuntur.

Ergo ipsa discordia debet poni vitium capitale, magis quam filia inanis gloriae.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est auctoritas Gregorii, XXXI Moral..

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod discordia importat quandam disgregationem voluntatum, inquantum scilicet voluntas unius stat in uno, et voluntas alterius stat in altero. Quod autem voluntas alicuius in proprio sistat, provenit ex hoc quod aliquis ea quae sunt sua praefert his quae sunt aliorum. Quod cum inordinate fit, pertinet ad superbiam et inanem gloriam. Et ideo discordia, per quam unusquisque sequitur quod suum est et recedit ab eo quod est alterius, ponitur filia inanis gloriae.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod rixa non est idem quod discordia.

Nam rixa consistit in exteriori opere, unde convenienter causatur ab ira, quae movet animum ad nocendum proximo. Sed discordia consistit in disiunctione motuum voluntatis, quam facit superbia vel inanis gloria, ratione iam dicta.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod in discordia consideratur quidem ut terminus a quo recessus a voluntate alterius, et quantum ad hoc causatur ex invidia. Ut terminus autem ad quem, accessus ad id quod est sibi proprium, et quantum ad hoc causatur ex inani gloria. Et quia in quolibet motu terminus ad quem est potior termino a quo (finis enim est potior principio), potius ponitur discordia filia inanis gloriae quam invidiae, licet ex utraque oriri possit secundum diversas rationes, ut dictum est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod ideo concordia magnae res crescunt et per discordiam dilabuntur, quia virtus quanto est magis unita, tanto est fortior, et per separationem diminuitur; ut dicitur in libro de causis.

Unde patet quod hoc pertinet ad proprium effectum discordiae, quae est divisio voluntatum, non autem pertinet ad originem diversorum vitiorum a discordia, per quod habeat rationem vitii capitalis.