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Did Aquinas say "invincible ignorance is a punishment for sin"?

Started by Mysterium Fidei, August 25, 2022, 08:25:54 PM

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Mysterium Fidei

In an article, that is an excerpt from a book by Fr. Muller, he quotes St. Thomas as saying: "Invincible ignorance", says St. Thomas Aquinas, "is a punishment for sin". (De Infid. q. x., art. 1.)

I have been trying to find the original source of this quote, but have been unable to do so. Does anyone know if this quote is authentic and where in St. Thomas' body of work it can be found? I am curious to know the context.

Is "De Infid" against the infidels? Here is a link to the article with the quote in it.

Thanks for any answers anyone can provide.

https://vitwilderness.blogspot.com/2007/08/invincible-ignorance-does-not-save.html

Geremia

Quote from: Mysterium Fidei on August 25, 2022, 08:25:54 PMDe Infid. q. x., art. 1
The full title of his Summa contra gentiles is Liber de veritate Catholicæ fidei contra errores infidelium: qui dicitur Summa contra gentiles (Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the infidels, which is called the Summary against the gentiles), but "q. x., art. 1" can't refer to the SCG because the SGC is cited by book and chapter (e.g., "Contra Gentiles, lib. 4 cap. 8").

Mysterium Fidei

Quote from: Geremia on August 25, 2022, 09:56:16 PM
Quote from: Mysterium Fidei on August 25, 2022, 08:25:54 PMDe Infid. q. x., art. 1
The full title of his Summa contra gentiles is Liber de veritate Catholicæ fidei contra errores infidelium: qui dicitur Summa contra gentiles (Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the infidels, which is called the Summary against the gentiles), but "q. x., art. 1" can't refer to the SCG because the SGC is cited by book and chapter (e.g., "Contra Gentiles, lib. 4 cap. 8").

Thank you for your reply. That's what I thought.

It seems the citation is not accurate, if the quote is authentic. Have you ever heard it?

Geremia

Quote from: Mysterium Fidei on August 26, 2022, 07:30:14 AMHave you ever heard it?
The closest I can find is Compendium cap. 226: "ignorance, and the like, [...] are punishment for sin."

Mysterium Fidei

Quote from: Geremia on August 26, 2022, 06:44:14 PM
Quote from: Mysterium Fidei on August 26, 2022, 07:30:14 AMHave you ever heard it?
The closest I can find is Compendium cap. 226: "ignorance, and the like, [...] are punishment for sin."

Thank you for finding that for me. It is similar although he seems to not be specifically referring to "invincible" ignorance.

Geremia

Quote from: Mysterium Fidei on August 27, 2022, 07:34:14 AMhe seems to not be specifically referring to "invincible" ignorance.
Summa Theologica I-II q. 6 a. 8 "Whether ignorance causes involuntariness?" co. describes the different kinds of ignorance with respect to the will:

Quoteignorance has a threefold relationship to the act of the will: in one way, "concomitantly"; in another, "consequently"; in a third way, "antecedently."
  • "Concomitantly," when there is ignorance of what is done; but, so that even if it were known, it would be done. For then, ignorance does not induce one to wish this to be done, but it just happens that a thing is at the same time done, and not known: thus in the example given (OBJ 3) a man did indeed wish to kill his foe, but killed him in ignorance, thinking to kill a stag. And ignorance of this kind, as the Philosopher states (Ethic. iii, 1), does not cause involuntariness, since it is not the cause of anything that is repugnant to the will: but it causes "non-voluntariness," since that which is unknown cannot be actually willed.
  • Ignorance is "consequent" to the act of the will, in so far as ignorance itself is voluntary: and this happens in two ways, in accordance with the two aforesaid modes of voluntary (Article [3]).
    • First, because the act of the will is brought to bear on the ignorance: as when a man wishes not to know, that he may have an excuse for sin, or that he may not be withheld from sin; according to Job 21:14: "We desire not the knowledge of Thy ways." And this is called "affected ignorance."
    • Secondly, ignorance is said to be voluntary, when it regards that which one can and ought to know: for in this sense "not to act" and "not to will" are said to be voluntary, as stated above (Article [3]). And ignorance of this kind happens, either when one does not actually consider what one can and ought to consider; this is called "ignorance of evil choice," and arises from some passion or habit: or when one does not take the trouble to acquire the knowledge which one ought to have; in which sense, ignorance of the general principles of law, which one to know, is voluntary, as being due to negligence.
    Accordingly, if in either of these ways, ignorance is voluntary, it cannot cause involuntariness simply. Nevertheless it causes involuntariness in a certain respect, inasmuch as it precedes the movement of the will towards the act, which movement would not be, if there were knowledge.
  • Ignorance is "antecedent" to the act of the will, when it is not voluntary, and yet is the cause of man's willing what he would not will otherwise. Thus a man may be ignorant of some circumstance of his act, which he was not bound to know, the result being that he does that which he would not do, if he knew of that circumstance; for instance, a man, after taking proper precaution, may not know that someone is coming along the road, so that he shoots an arrow and slays a passer-by. Such ignorance causes involuntariness simply.
Invincible ignorance is another word for antecedent ignorance.