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Objection 1: It would seem that discord is not a daughter of
vainglory. For anger is a vice distinct from vainglory. Now discord
is apparently the daughter of anger, according to Prov. 15:18:
"A passionate man stirreth up strifes." Therefore it is not a
daughter of vainglory.
Objection 2: Further, Augustine expounding the words of Jn.
7:39, "As yet the Spirit was not given," says (Tract.
xxxii) "Malice severs, charity unites." Now discord is merely a
separation of wills. Therefore discord arises from malice, i.e.
envy, rather than from vainglory.
Objection 3: Further, whatever gives rise to many evils, would
seem to be a capital vice. Now such is discord, because Jerome in
commenting on Mt. 12:25, "Every kingdom divided against itself
shall be made desolate," says: "Just as concord makes small things
thrive, so discord brings the greatest things to ruin." Therefore
discord should itself be reckoned a capital vice, rather than a
daughter of vainglory.
On the contrary stands the authority of Gregory (Moral. xxxi,
45).
I answer that, Discord denotes a certain disunion of wills, in so
far, to wit, as one man's will holds fast to one thing, while the
other man's will holds fast to something else. Now if a man's will
holds fast to its own ground, this is due to the act that he prefers
what is his own to that which belongs to others, and if he do this
inordinately, it is due to pride and vainglory. Therefore discord,
whereby a man holds to his own way of thinking, and departs from that
of others, is reckoned to be a daughter of vainglory.
Reply to Objection 1: Strife is not the same as discord, for
strife consists in external deeds, wherefore it is becoming that it
should arise from anger, which incites the mind to hurt one's
neighbor; whereas discord consists in a divergence in the movements of
wills, which arises from pride or vainglory, for the reason given
above.
Reply to Objection 2: In discord we may consider that which is the
term "wherefrom," i.e. another's will from which we recede, and
in this respect it arises from envy; and again we may consider that
which is the term "whither," i.e. something of our own to which we
cling, and in this respect it is caused by vainglory. And since in
every moment the term "whither" is more important than the term
"wherefrom" (because the end is of more account than the
beginning), discord is accounted a daughter of vainglory rather than
of envy, though it may arise from both for different reasons, as
stated.
Reply to Objection 3: The reason why concord makes small things
thrive, while discord brings the greatest to ruin, is because "the
more united a force is, the stronger it is, while the more disunited
it is the weaker it becomes" (De Causis xvii). Hence it is
evident that this is part of the proper effect of discord which is a
disunion of wills, and in no way indicates that other vices arise from
discord, as though it were a capital vice.
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