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Objection 1: It would seem that folly is not a daughter of lust.
For Gregory (Moral. xxxi, 45) enumerates the daughters of
lust, among which however he makes no mention of folly. Therefore
folly does not proceed from lust.
Objection 2: Further, the Apostle says (1 Cor. 3:19):
"The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." Now,
according to Gregory (Moral. x, 29) "the wisdom of this world
consists in covering the heart with crafty devices;" and this savors
of duplicity. Therefore folly is a daughter of duplicity rather than
of lust.
Objection 3: Further, anger especially is the cause of fury and
madness in some persons; and this pertains to folly. Therefore folly
arises from anger rather than from lust.
On the contrary, It is written (Prov. 7:22): "Immediately
he followeth her," i.e. the harlot . . . "not knowing that he is
drawn like a fool to bonds."
I answer that, As already stated (Article 2), folly, in so far
as it is a sin, is caused by the spiritual sense being dulled, so as
to be incapable of judging spiritual things. Now man's sense is
plunged into earthly things chiefly by lust, which is about the
greatest of pleasures; and these absorb the mind more than any others.
Therefore the folly which is a sin, arises chiefly from lust.
Reply to Objection 1: It is part of folly that a man should have a
distaste for God and His gifts. Hence Gregory mentions two
daughters of lust, pertaining to folly, namely, "hatred of God"
and "despair of the life to come"; thus he divides folly into two
parts as it were.
Reply to Objection 2: These words of the Apostle are to be
understood, not causally but essentially, because, to wit, worldly
wisdom itself is folly with God. Hence it does not follow that
whatever belongs to worldly wisdom, is a cause of this folly.
Reply to Objection 3: Anger by reason of its keenness, as stated
above (FS, Question 48, Articles 2,3,4), produces a
great change in the nature of the body, wherefore it conduces very much
to the folly which results from a bodily impediment. On the other hand
the folly which is caused by a spiritual impediment, viz. by the mind
being plunged into earthly things, arises chiefly from lust, as stated
above.
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