Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that six daughters are unfittingly assigned to gluttony, to wit, "unseemly joy, scurrility, uncleanness, loquaciousness, and dullness of mind as regards the understanding." For unseemly joy results from every sin, according to Prov. 2:14, "Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things." Likewise dullness of mind is associated with every sin, according to Prov. 14:22, "They err that work evil." Therefore they are unfittingly reckoned to be daughters of gluttony.

Objection 2: Further, the uncleanness which is particularly the result of gluttony would seem to be connected with vomiting, according to Is. 28:8, "All tables were full of vomit and filth." But this seems to be not a sin but a punishment; or even a useful thing that is a matter of counsel, according to Ecclus. 31:25, "If thou hast been forced to eat much, arise, go out, and vomit; and it shall refresh thee." Therefore it should not be reckoned among the daughters of gluttony.

Objection 3: Further, Isidore (Questions. in Deut. xvi) reckons scurrility as a daughter of lust. Therefore it should not be reckoned among the daughters of gluttony.

On the contrary, Gregory (Moral. xxxi, 45) assigns these daughters to gluttony.

I answer that, As stated above (Articles 1,2,3), gluttony consists properly in an immoderate pleasure in eating and drinking. Wherefore those vices are reckoned among the daughters of gluttony, which are the results of eating and drinking immoderately. These may be accounted for either on the part of the soul or on the part of the body. on the part of the soul these results are of four kinds. First, as regards the reason, whose keenness is dulled by immoderate meat and drink, and in this respect we reckon as a daughter of gluttony, "dullness of sense in the understanding," on account of the fumes of food disturbing the brain. Even so, on the other hand, abstinence conduces to the penetrating power of wisdom, according to Eccles. 2:3, "I thought in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I might turn my mind in wisdom." Secondly, as regards the. appetite, which is disordered in many ways by immoderation in eating and drinking, as though reason were fast asleep at the helm, and in this respect "unseemly joy" is reckoned, because all the other inordinate passions are directed to joy or sorrow, as stated in Ethic. ii, 5. To this we must refer the saying of 3 Esdra 3:20, that "wine . . . gives every one a confident and joyful mind." Thirdly, as regards inordinate words, and thus we have "loquaciousness," because as Gregory says (Pastor. iii, 19), "unless gluttons were carried away by immoderate speech, that rich man who is stated to have feasted sumptuously every day would not have been so tortured in his tongue." Fourthly, as regards inordinate action, and in this way we have "scurrility," i.e. a kind of levity resulting from lack of reason, which is unable not only to bridle the speech, but also to restrain outward behavior. Hence a gloss on Eph. 5:4, "Or foolish talking or scurrility," says that "fools call this geniality---i.e. jocularity, because it is wont to raise a laugh." Both of these, however, may be referred to the words which may happen to be sinful, either by reason of excess which belongs to "loquaciousness," or by reason of unbecomingness, which belongs to "scurrility."

On the part of the body, mention is made of "uncleanness," which may refer either to the inordinate emission of any kind of superfluities, or especially to the emission of the semen. Hence a gloss on Eph. 5:3, "But fornication and all uncleanness," says: "That is, any kind of incontinence that has reference to lust."

Reply to Objection 1: Joy in the act or end of sin results from every sin, especially the sin that proceeds from habit, but the random riotous joy which is described as "unseemly" arises chiefly from immoderate partaking of meat or drink. In like manner, we reply that dullness of sense as regards matters of choice is common to all sin, whereas dullness of sense in speculative matters arises chiefly from gluttony, for the reason given above.

Reply to Objection 2: Although it does one good to vomit after eating too much, yet it is sinful to expose oneself to its necessity by immoderate meat or drink. However, it is no sin to procure vomiting as a remedy for sickness if the physician prescribes it.

Reply to Objection 3: Scurrility proceeds from the act of gluttony, and not from the lustful act, but from the lustful will: wherefore it may be referred to either vice.

Articulus 6

Argumentum 1

Ad sextum sic proceditur. Videtur quod inconvenienter assignentur gulae quinque filiae, scilicet inepta laetitia, scurrilitas, immunditia, multiloquium, hebetudo mentis circa intelligentiam.

Inepta enim laetitia consequitur omne peccatum, secundum illud Prov. II, qui laetantur cum male fecerint, et exultant in rebus pessimis.

Similiter etiam hebetudo mentis invenitur in omni peccato, secundum illud Prov. XIV, errant qui operantur malum.

Ergo inconvenienter ponuntur filiae gulae.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, immunditia, quae maxime consequitur gulam, videtur ad vomitum pertinere, secundum illud Isaiae XXVIII, omnes mensae repletae sunt vomitu sordium.

Sed hoc non videtur esse peccatum, sed poena, vel etiam aliquid utile sub consilio cadens, secundum illud Eccli. XXXI, si coactus fueris in edendo multum, surge e medio et vome, et refrigerabit te.

Ergo non debet poni inter filias gulae.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, Isidorus ponit scurrilitatem filiam luxuriae.

Non ergo debet poni inter filias gulae.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Gregorius, XXXI Moral., has filias gulae assignat.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, gula proprie consistit circa immoderatam delectationem quae est in cibis et potibus. Et ideo illa vitia inter filias gulae computantur quae ex immoderata delectatione cibi et potus consequuntur. Quae quidem possunt accipi vel ex parte animae, vel ex parte corporis. Ex parte autem animae, quadrupliciter.

Primo quidem, quantum ad rationem, cuius acies hebetatur ex immoderantia cibi et potus. Et quantum ad hoc, ponitur filia gulae hebetudo sensus circa intelligentiam, propter fumositates ciborum perturbantes caput. Sicut et e contrario abstinentia confert ad sapientiae perceptionem, secundum illud Eccle. II, cogitavi in corde meo abstrahere a vino carnem meam, ut animum meum transferrem ad sapientiam.

Secundo, quantum ad appetitum, qui multipliciter deordinatur per immoderantiam cibi et potus, quasi sopito gubernaculo rationis. Et quantum ad hoc, ponitur inepta laetitia, quia omnes aliae inordinatae passiones ad laetitiam et tristitiam ordinantur, ut dicitur in II ethic.. Et hoc est quod dicitur III esdrae III, quod vinum omnem mentem convertit in securitatem et iucunditatem.

Tertio, quantum ad inordinatum verbum. Et sic ponitur multiloquium, quia, ut Gregorius dicit, in pastorali, nisi gulae deditos immoderata loquacitas raperet, dives ille qui epulatus quotidie splendide dicitur, in lingua gravius non arderet.

Quarto, quantum ad inordinatum actum. Et sic ponitur scurrilitas, idest iocularitas quaedam proveniens ex defectu rationis, quae, sicut non potest cohibere verba, ita non potest cohibere exteriores gestus.

Unde Ephes. V, super illud, aut stultiloquium aut scurrilitas, dicit Glossa, quae a stultis curialitas dicitur, idest iocularitas, quae risum movere solet.

Quamvis possit utrumque horum referri ad verba. In quibus contingit peccare vel ratione superfluitatis, quod pertinet ad multiloquium, vel ratione inhonestatis, quod pertinet ad scurrilitatem. Ex parte autem corporis, ponitur immunditia. Quae potest attendi sive secundum inordinatam emissionem quarumcumque superfluitatum, vel specialiter quantum ad emissionem seminis.

Unde super illud Ephes. V, fornicatio autem et omnis immunditia etc., dicit Glossa, idest incontinentia pertinens ad libidinem quocumque modo.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod laetitia quae est de actu peccati vel fine, consequitur omne peccatum, maxime quod procedit ex habitu. Sed laetitia vaga incomposita, quae hic dicitur inepta, praecipue oritur ex immoderata sumptione cibi vel potus.

Similiter etiam dicendum quod hebetudo sensus quantum ad eligibilia communiter invenitur in omni peccato. Sed hebetudo sensus circa speculabilia maxime procedit ex gula, ratione iam dicta.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, licet utilis sit vomitus post superfluam comestionem, tamen vitiosum est quod aliquis huic necessitati se subdat per immoderantiam cibi vel potus. Potest tamen absque culpa vomitus procurari ex consilio medicinae in remedium alicuius languoris.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod scurrilitas procedit quidem ex actu gulae, non autem ex actu luxuriae, sed ex eius voluntate.

Et ideo ad utrumque vitium potest pertinere.