Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that guile is not a sin pertaining to craftiness. For sin, especially mortal, has no place in perfect men. Yet a certain guile is to be found in them, according to 2 Cor. 12:16, "Being crafty I caught you by guile." Therefore guile is not always a sin.

Objection 2: Further, guile seems to pertain chiefly to the tongue, according to Ps. 5:11, "They dealt deceitfully with their tongues." Now craftiness like prudence is in the very act of reason. Therefore guile does not pertain to craftiness.

Objection 3: Further, it is written (Prov. 12:20): "Guile is in the heart of them that think evil things." But the thought of evil things does not always pertain to craftiness. Therefore guile does not seem to belong to craftiness.

On the contrary, Craftiness aims at lying in wait, according to Eph. 4:14, "By cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive": and guile aims at this also. Therefore guile pertains to craftiness.

I answer that, As stated above (Article 3), it belongs to craftiness to adopt ways that are not true but counterfeit and apparently true, in order to attain some end either good or evil. Now the adopting of such ways may be subjected to a twofold consideration; first, as regards the process of thinking them out, and this belongs properly to craftiness, even as thinking out right ways to a due end belongs to prudence. Secondly the adopting of such like ways may be considered with regard to their actual execution, and in this way it belongs to guile. Hence guile denotes a certain execution of craftiness, and accordingly belongs thereto.

Reply to Objection 1: Just as craftiness is taken properly in a bad sense, and improperly in a good sense, so too is guile which is the execution of craftiness.

Reply to Objection 2: The execution of craftiness with the purpose of deceiving, is effected first and foremost by words, which hold the chief place among those signs whereby a man signifies something to another man, as Augustine states (De Doctr. Christ. ii, 3), hence guile is ascribed chiefly to speech. Yet guile may happen also in deeds, according to Ps. 104:25, "And to deal deceitfully with his servants." Guile is also in the heart, according to Ecclus. 19:23, "His interior is full of deceit," but this is to devise deceits, according to Ps. 37:13: "They studied deceits all the day long."

Reply to Objection 3: Whoever purposes to do some evil deed, must needs devise certain ways of attaining his purpose, and for the most part he devises deceitful ways, whereby the more easily to obtain his end. Nevertheless it happens sometimes that evil is done openly and by violence without craftiness and guile; but as this is more difficult, it is of less frequent occurrence.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod dolus non sit peccatum ad astutiam pertinens. Peccatum enim in perfectis viris non invenitur, praecipue mortale.

Invenitur autem in eis aliquis dolus, secundum illud II ad Cor. XII, cum essem astutus, dolo vos cepi.

Ergo dolus non est semper peccatum.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, dolus maxime ad linguam pertinere videtur, secundum illud psalm., linguis suis dolose agebant.

Astutia autem, sicut et prudentia, est in ipso actu rationis.

Ergo dolus non pertinet ad astutiam.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, Prov. XII dicitur, dolus in corde cogitantium mala.

Sed non omnis malorum cogitatio pertinet ad astutiam.

Ergo dolus non videtur ad astutiam pertinere.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod astutia ad circumveniendum ordinatur, secundum illud apostoli, ad Ephes. IV, in astutia ad circumventionem erroris.

Ad quod etiam dolus ordinatur. Ergo dolus pertinet ad astutiam.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, ad astutiam pertinet assumere vias non veras, sed simulatas et apparentes, ad aliquem finem prosequendum vel bonum vel malum.

Assumptio autem harum viarum potest dupliciter considerari. Uno quidem modo, in ipsa excogitatione viarum huiusmodi, et hoc proprie pertinet ad astutiam, sicut etiam excogitatio rectarum viarum ad debitum finem pertinet ad prudentiam. Alio modo potest considerari talium viarum assumptio secundum executionem operis, et secundum hoc pertinet ad dolum. Et ideo dolus importat quandam executionem astutiae. Et secundum hoc ad astutiam pertinet.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod sicut astutia proprie accipitur in malo, abusive autem in bono; ita etiam et dolus, qui est astutiae executio.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod executio astutiae ad decipiendum primo quidem et principaliter fit per verba, quae praecipuum locum tenent inter signa quibus homo significat aliquid alteri, ut patet per Augustinum, in libro de doct. Christ..

Et ideo dolus maxime attribuitur locutioni.

Contingit tamen esse dolum et in factis, secundum illud psalm., et dolum facerent in servos eius.

Est etiam et dolus in corde, secundum illud Eccli. XIX.

Interiora eius plena sunt dolo.

Sed hoc est secundum quod aliquis dolos excogitat, secundum illud psalm., dolos tota die meditabantur.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod quicumque cogitant aliquod malum facere, necesse est quod excogitent aliquas vias ad hoc quod suum propositum impleant, et ut plurimum excogitant vias dolosas, quibus facilius propositum consequantur. Quamvis contingat quandoque quod absque astutia et dolo aliqui aperte et per violentiam malum operentur.

Sed hoc, quia difficilius fit, in paucioribus accidit.