Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the active life is more excellent than the contemplative. For "that which belongs to better men would seem to be worthier and better," as the Philosopher says (Top. iii, 1). Now the active life belongs to persons of higher rank, namely prelates, who are placed in a position of honor and power; wherefore Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xix, 19) that "in our actions we must not love honor or power in this life." Therefore it would seem that the active life is more excellent than the contemplative.

Objection 2: Further, in all habits and acts, direction belongs to the more important; thus the military art, being the more important, directs the art of the bridle-maker . Now it belongs to the active life to direct and command the contemplative, as appears from the words addressed to Moses (Ex. 19:21), "Go down and charge the people, lest they should have a mind to pass the" fixed "limits to see the Lord." Therefore the active life is more excellent than the contemplative.

Objection 3: Further, no man should be taken away from a greater thing in order to be occupied with lesser things: for the Apostle says (1 Cor. 12:31): "Be zealous for the better gifts." Now some are taken away from the state of the contemplative life to the occupations of the active life, as in the case of those who are transferred to the state of prelacy. Therefore it would seem that the active life is more excellent than the contemplative.

On the contrary, Our Lord said (Lk. 10:42): "Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her." Now Mary figures the contemplative life. Therefore the contemplative life is more excellent than the active.

I answer that, Nothing prevents certain things being more excellent in themselves, whereas they are surpassed by another in some respect. Accordingly we must reply that the contemplative life is simply more excellent than the active: and the Philosopher proves this by eight reasons (Ethic. x, 7,8). The first is, because the contemplative life becomes man according to that which is best in him, namely the intellect, and according to its proper objects, namely things intelligible; whereas the active life is occupied with externals. Hence Rachael, by whom the contemplative life is signified, is interpreted "the vision of the principle," whereas as Gregory says (Moral. vi, 37) the active life is signified by Lia who was blear-eyed. The second reason is because the contemplative life can be more continuous, although not as regards the highest degree of contemplation, as stated above (Question 180, Article 8, ad 2; Question 181, Article 4, ad 3), wherefore Mary, by whom the contemplative life is signified, is described as "sitting" all the time "at the Lord's feet." Thirdly, because the contemplative life is more delightful than the active; wherefore Augustine says (De Verb. Dom. Serm. ciii) that "Martha was troubled, but Mary feasted." Fourthly, because in the contemplative life man is more self-sufficient, since he needs fewer things for that purpose; wherefore it was said (Lk. 10:41): "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and art troubled about many things." Fifthly, because the contemplative life is loved more for its own sake, while the active life is directed to something else. Hence it is written (Ps. 36:4): "One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may see the delight of the Lord." Sixthly, because the contemplative life consists in leisure and rest, according to Ps. 45:11, "Be still and see that I am God." Seventhly, because the contemplative life is according to Divine things, whereas active life is according to human things; wherefore Augustine says (De Verb. Dom. Serm. civ): "'In the beginning was the Word': to Him was Mary hearkening: 'The Word was made flesh': Him was Martha serving." Eighthly, because the contemplative life is according to that which is most proper to man, namely his intellect; whereas in the works of the active life the lower powers also, which are common to us and brutes, have their part; wherefore (Ps. 35:7) after the words, "Men and beasts Thou wilt preserve, O Lord," that which is special to man is added (Ps. 35:10): "In Thy light we shall see light."

Our Lord adds a ninth reason (Lk. 10:42) when He says: "Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her," which words Augustine (De Verb. Dom. Serm. ciii) expounds thus: "Not---Thou hast chosen badly but---She has chosen better. Why better? Listen---because it shall not be taken away from her. But the burden of necessity shall at length be taken from thee: whereas the sweetness of truth is eternal."

Yet in a restricted sense and in a particular case one should prefer the active life on account of the needs of the present life. Thus too the Philosopher says (Topic. iii, 2): "It is better to be wise than to be rich, yet for one who is in need, it is better to be rich . . ."

Reply to Objection 1: Not only the active life concerns prelates, they should also excel in the contemplative life; hence Gregory says (Pastor. ii, 1): "A prelate should be foremost in action, more uplifted than others in contemplation."

Reply to Objection 2: The contemplative life consists in a certain liberty of mind. For Gregory says (Hom. iii in Ezech.) that "the contemplative life obtains a certain freedom of mind, for it thinks not of temporal but of eternal things." And Boethius says (De Consol. v, 2): "The soul of man must needs be more free while it continues to gaze on the Divine mind, and less so when it stoops to bodily things." Wherefore it is evident that the active life does not directly command the contemplative life, but prescribes certain works of the active life as dispositions to the contemplative life; which it accordingly serves rather than commands. Gregory refers to this when he says (Hom. iii in Ezech.) that "the active life is bondage, whereas the contemplative life is freedom."

Reply to Objection 3: Sometimes a man is called away from the contemplative life to the works of the active life, on account of some necessity of the present life, yet not so as to be compelled to forsake contemplation altogether. Hence Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xix, 19): "The love of truth seeks a holy leisure, the demands of charity undertake an honest toil," the work namely of the active life. "If no one imposes this burden upon us we must devote ourselves to the research and contemplation of truth, but if it be imposed on us, we must bear it because charity demands it of us. Yet even then we must not altogether forsake the delights of truth, lest we deprive ourselves of its sweetness, and this burden overwhelm us." Hence it is clear that when a person is called from the contemplative life to the active life, this is done by way not of subtraction but of addition.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod vita activa sit potior quam contemplativa.

Quod enim est meliorum, videtur esse melius, ut philosophus dicit, in III topic..

Sed vita activa pertinet ad maiores, scilicet ad praelatos, qui sunt in honore et potestate constituti, unde Augustinus dicit, XIX de CIV. Dei, quod in actione non amandus est honor in hac vita, sive potentia.

Ergo videtur quod vita activa sit potior quam contemplativa.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, in omnibus habitibus et actibus praecipere pertinet ad potiorem, sicut militaris, tanquam potior, praecipit frenorum factrici. Sed ad vitam activam pertinet disponere et praecipere de contemplativa, ut patet per id quod dicitur Moysi, Exod. XIX, descende, et contestare populum, ne forte velit transcendere propositos terminos ad videndum deum.

Ergo vita activa est potior quam contemplativa.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, nullus debet abstrahi a maiori ut applicetur minoribus, apostolus enim dicit, I ad Cor. XII, aemulamini charismata meliora.

Sed aliqui abstrahuntur a statu vitae contemplativae et occupantur circa vitam activam, ut patet de illis qui transferuntur ad statum praelationis. Ergo videtur quod vita activa sit potior quam contemplativa.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dominus dicit, Luc. X, maria optimam partem elegit, quae non auferetur ab ea.

Per mariam autem significatur vita contemplativa.

Ergo contemplativa vita potior est quam activa.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod nihil prohibet aliquid secundum se esse excellentius quod tamen secundum aliquid ab alio superatur.

Dicendum est ergo quod vita contemplativa simpliciter melior est quam activa.

Quod philosophus, in X ethic., probat octo rationibus.

Quarum prima est, quia vita contemplativa convenit homini secundum illud quod est optimum in ipso, scilicet secundum intellectum, et respectu propriorum obiectorum, scilicet intelligibilium, vita autem activa occupatur circa exteriora. Unde Rachel, per quam significatur vita contemplativa, interpretatur visum principium, vita autem activa significatur per Liam, quae erat lippis oculis, ut Gregorius dicit, VI Moral..

Secundo, quia vita contemplativa potest esse magis continua, licet non quantum ad summum contemplationis gradum, sicut supra dictum est.

Unde et maria, per quam significatur vita contemplativa, describitur secus pedes domini assidue sedens. Tertio, quia maior est delectatio vitae contemplativae quam activae.

Unde Augustinus dicit, in libro de verbis dom., quod martha turbabatur, maria epulabatur.

Quarto, quia in vita contemplativa est homo magis sibi sufficiens, quia paucioribus ad eam indiget.

Unde dicitur Luc. X, martha, martha, sollicita es et turbaris erga plurima.

Quinto, quia vita contemplativa magis propter se diligitur, vita autem activa ad aliud ordinatur.

Unde in Psalmo dicitur, unam petii a domino, hanc requiram, ut inhabitem in domo domini omnibus diebus vitae meae, ut videam voluntatem domini.

Sexto, quia vita contemplativa consistit in quadam vacatione et quiete, secundum illud Psalmi, vacate, et videte quoniam ego sum deus.

Septimo, quia vita contemplativa est secundum divina, vita autem activa secundum humana.

Unde Augustinus dicit, in libro de verbis dom., in principio erat verbum, ecce quod maria audiebat.

Verbum caro factum est, ecce cui martha ministrabat.

Octavo, quia vita contemplativa est secundum id quod est magis proprium homini, idest secundum intellectum, in operationibus autem vitae activae communicant etiam inferiores vires, quae sunt nobis et brutis communes.

Unde in Psalmo, postquam dictum est, homines et iumenta salvabis, domine, subditur id quod est hominibus speciale, in lumine tuo videbimus lumen.

Nonam rationem addit dominus, Luc. X, cum dicit, optimam partem elegit maria, quae non auferetur ab ea.

Quod exponens Augustinus, in libro de verbis dom., dicit, non tu malam, sed illa meliorem. Audi unde meliorem, quia non auferetur ab ea. A te auferetur aliquando onus necessitatis, aeterna est dulcedo veritatis.

Secundum quid tamen, et in casu, magis est eligenda vita activa, propter necessitatem praesentis vitae.

Sicut etiam philosophus dicit, in III topic., quod philosophari est melius quam ditari, sed ditari melius est necessitatem patienti.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod ad praelatos non solum pertinet vita activa, sed etiam debent esse excellentes in vita contemplativa.

Unde Gregorius dicit, in pastorali, sit rector actione praecipuus, prae cunctis in contemplatione suspensus.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod vita contemplativa in quadam animi libertate consistit.

Dicit enim Gregorius, super Ezech., quod vita contemplativa ad quandam mentis libertatem transit, temporalia non cogitans, sed aeterna.

Et boetius dicit, in V de consolat., humanas animas liberiores esse necesse est cum se in mentis divinae speculatione conservant, minus vero, cum dilabuntur ad corpora.

Unde patet quod vita activa non directe praecipit vitae contemplativae, sed, disponendo ad vitam contemplativam, praecipit quaedam opera vitae activae; in quo magis servit contemplativae vitae quam dominetur.

Et hoc est quod Gregorius dicit, super Ezech., quod activa vita servitus, contemplativa autem libertas vocatur.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod ad opera vitae activae interdum aliquis a contemplatione avocatur propter aliquam necessitatem praesentis vitae, non tamen hoc modo quod cogatur aliquis totaliter contemplationem deserere.

Unde Augustinus dicit, XIX de CIV. Dei, otium sanctum quaerit caritas veritatis, negotium iustum, scilicet vitae activae, suscipit necessitas caritatis. Quam sarcinam si nullus imponit, percipiendae atque intuendae vacandum est veritati. Si autem imponitur, suscipienda est, propter caritatis necessitatem. Sed nec sic omnino veritatis delectatio deserenda est, ne subtrahatur illa suavitas, et opprimat ista necessitas.

Et sic patet quod, cum aliquis a contemplativa vita ad activam vocatur, non hoc fit per modum subtractionis, sed per modum additionis.