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Objection 1: It would seem that fear hinders action. For action is
hindered chiefly by a disturbance in the reason, which directs action.
But fear disturbs reason, as stated above (Article 2). Therefore
fear hinders action.
Objection 2: Further, those who fear while doing anything, are
more apt to fail: thus a man who walks on a plank placed aloft, easily
falls through fear; whereas, if he were to walk on the same plank down
below, he would not fall, through not being afraid. Therefore fear
hinders action.
Objection 3: Further, laziness or sloth is a kind of fear. But
laziness hinders action. Therefore fear does too.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Phil. 2:12): "With
fear and trembling work out your salvation": and he would not say this
if fear were a hindrance to a good work. Therefore fear does not
hinder a good action.
I answer that, Man's exterior actions are caused by the soul as
first mover, but by the bodily members as instruments. Now action may
be hindered both by defect of the instrument, and by defect of the
principal mover. On the part of the bodily instruments, fear,
considered in itself, is always apt to hinder exterior action, on
account of the outward members being deprived, through fear, of their
heat. But on the part of the soul, if the fear be moderate, without
much disturbance of the reason, it conduces to working well, in so far
as it causes a certain solicitude, and makes a man take counsel and
work with greater attention. If, however, fear increases so much as
to disturb the reason, it hinders action even on the part of the soul.
But of such a fear the Apostle does not speak.
This suffices for the Reply to the First Objection.
Reply to Objection 2: He that falls from a plank placed aloft,
suffers a disturbance of his imagination, through fear of the fall that
is pictured to his imagination.
Reply to Objection 3: Everyone in fear shuns that which he fears:
and therefore, since laziness is a fear of work itself as being
toilsome, it hinders work by withdrawing the will from it. But fear
of other things conduces to action, in so far as it inclines the will
to do that whereby a man escapes from what he fears.
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