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Objection 1: It would seem that self-love is not the source of
every sin. For that which is good and right in itself is not the
proper cause of sin. Now love of self is a good and right thing in
itself: wherefore man is commanded to love his neighbor as himself
(Lev. 19:18). Therefore self-love cannot be the proper cause
of sin.
Objection 2: Further, the Apostle says (Rm. 7:8): "Sin
taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of
concupiscence"; on which words a gloss says that "the law is good,
since by forbidding concupiscence, it forbids all evils," the reason
for which is that concupiscence is the cause of every sin. Now
concupiscence is a distinct passion from love, as stated above
(Question 3, Article 2; Question 23, Article 4).
Therefore self-love is not the cause of every sin.
Objection 3: Further, Augustine in commenting on Ps.
79:17, "Things set on fire and dug down," says that "every
sin is due either to love arousing us to undue ardor or to fear inducing
false humility." Therefore self-love is not the only cause of sin.
Objection 4: Further, as man sins at times through inordinate love
of self, so does he sometimes through inordinate love of his neighbor.
Therefore self-love is not the cause of every sin.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xiv, 28) that
"self-love, amounting to contempt of God, builds up the city of
Babylon." Now every sin makes man a citizen of Babylon. Therefore
self-love is the cause of every sin.
I answer that, As stated above (Question 75, Article 1), the
proper and direct cause of sin is to be considered on the part of the
adherence to a mutable good; in which respect every sinful act proceeds
from inordinate desire for some temporal good. Now the fact that
anyone desires a temporal good inordinately, is due to the fact that he
loves himself inordinately; for to wish anyone some good is to love
him. Therefore it is evident that inordinate love of self is the cause
of every sin.
Reply to Objection 1: Well ordered self-love, whereby man desires
a fitting good for himself, is right and natural; but it is inordinate
self-love, leading to contempt of God, that Augustine (De Civ.
Dei xiv, 28) reckons to be the cause of sin.
Reply to Objection 2: Concupiscence, whereby a man desires good
for himself, is reduced to self-love as to its cause, as stated.
Reply to Objection 3: Man is said to love both the good he desires
for himself, and himself to whom he desires it. Love, in so far as
it is directed to the object of desire (e.g. a man is said to love
wine or money) admits, as its cause, fear which pertains to avoidance
of evil: for every sin arises either from inordinate desire for some
good, or from inordinate avoidance of some evil. But each of these is
reduced to self-love, since it is through loving himself that man
either desires good things, or avoids evil things.
Reply to Objection 4: A friend is like another self (Ethic.
ix): wherefore the sin which is committed through love for a friend,
seems to be committed through self-love.
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