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Objection 1: It would seem that blindness of mind and dulness of
sense do not arise from sins of the flesh. For Augustine (Retract.
i, 4) retracts what he had said in his Soliloquies i, 1, "God
Who didst wish none but the clean to know the truth," and says that
one might reply that "many, even those who are unclean, know many
truths." Now men become unclean chiefly by sins of the flesh.
Therefore blindness of mind and dulness of sense are not caused by sins
of the flesh.
Objection 2: Further, blindness of mind and dulness of sense are
defects in connection with the intellective part of the soul: whereas
carnal sins pertain to the corruption of the flesh. But the flesh does
not act on the soul, but rather the reverse. Therefore the sins of
the flesh do not cause blindness of mind and dulness of sense.
Objection 3: Further, all things are more passive to what is near
them than to what is remote. Now spiritual vices are nearer the mind
than carnal vices are. Therefore blindness of mind and dulness of
sense are caused by spiritual rather than by carnal vices.
On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xxxi, 45) that dulness
of sense arises from gluttony and blindness of mind from lust.
I answer that, The perfect intellectual operation in man consists in
an abstraction from sensible phantasms, wherefore the more a man's
intellect is freed from those phantasms, the more thoroughly will it be
able to consider things intelligible, and to set in order all things
sensible. Thus Anaxagoras stated that the intellect requires to be
"detached" in order to command, and that the agent must have power
over matter, in order to be able to move it. Now it is evident that
pleasure fixes a man's attention on that which he takes pleasure in:
wherefore the Philosopher says (Ethic. x, 4,5) that we all do
best that which we take pleasure in doing, while as to other things,
we do them either not at all, or in a faint-hearted fashion.
Now carnal vices, namely gluttony and lust, are concerned with
pleasures of touch in matters of food and sex; and these are the most
impetuous of all pleasures of the body. For this reason these vices
cause man's attention to be very firmly fixed on corporeal things, so
that in consequence man's operation in regard to intelligible things is
weakened, more, however, by lust than by gluttony, forasmuch as
sexual pleasures are more vehement than those of the table. Wherefore
lust gives rise to blindness of mind, which excludes almost entirely
the knowledge of spiritual things, while dulness of sense arises from
gluttony, which makes a man weak in regard to the same intelligible
things. On the other hand, the contrary virtues, viz. abstinence
and chastity, dispose man very much to the perfection of intellectual
operation. Hence it is written (Dan. 1:17) that "to these
children" on account of their abstinence and continency, "God gave
knowledge and understanding in every book, and wisdom."
Reply to Objection 1: Although some who are the slaves of carnal
vices are at times capable of subtle considerations about intelligible
things, on account of the perfection of their natural genius, or of
some habit superadded thereto, nevertheless, on account of the
pleasures of the body, it must needs happen that their attention is
frequently withdrawn from this subtle contemplation: wherefore the
unclean can know some truths, but their uncleanness is a clog on their
knowledge.
Reply to Objection 2: The flesh acts on the intellective
faculties, not by altering them, but by impeding their operation in
the aforesaid manner.
Reply to Objection 3: It is owing to the fact that the carnal vices
are further removed from the mind, that they distract the mind's
attention to more remote things, so that they hinder the mind's
contemplation all the more.
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