The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
Fear, Concupiscence and Free Will
August 18, 1998
On this darkly historic day (following President Clinton’s admission of a "wrong" relationship), it seems appropriate to take a quick look at honesty, weakness, and adultery.
Yesterday, it was determined that violence can have some impact upon the exterior actions of the will, but that it does not affect the interior will. Because I can’t run real fast doesn’t mean I can’t desire it. Because someone pushes me into someone else doesn’t mean I willed that.
It is tempting to say that fear and concupiscence can have a similar impact on free will. One might sin out of fear or the tendency to sin and claim that his free will had been compromised. There are those who say President Clinton has covered up his sin out of fear of political repercussions. The president last night admitted that he did something wrong in a time of weakness. It would appear the lack of truthfulness and weakness in some way affected his actions.
In actuality, however, he remained a creature of free will: "Such things voluntary rather than involuntary; for they are voluntary absolutely, but involuntary in a certain respect" (ST First of Second Q. 6 Art. 6).
Furthermore, although ignorance and violence can affect the exterior actions of the will, and though some actions are good in some instances and evil in others, Aquinas argues that some actions are always wrong for there is no way to do them in a right way, and adultery is one of those acts.
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
