125. Anger and Its Causes: Contempt as the Universal Motive

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Universal Motive of Anger #

• Central Question: Is anger always provoked by something done against oneself?
• Thomas argues that anger requires an injury that pertains to the angry person, not necessarily harm done directly to them
• Three ways an injury can pertain to someone:
  1. Through affinity (family relationship)
  2. Through friendship (those we love as another self)
  3. Through communion of nature (shared humanity)

God’s Anger and the Problem of Direct Harm #

• God is described as angry at sinners despite sinners being unable to harm God effectively
• Two ways sinners act against God:
  1. Through contempt for His commands
  2. Through harm to creatures under God’s providence and guardianship
• This shows that anger’s motive is not limited to direct harm

Anger at Third Parties and Injustice to Others #

• We become angry when others are harmed, especially those close to us
• The closer the victim to us (family, friends, fellow citizens), the more we become angry
• Even injustice to distant persons (tyrants in foreign lands) can provoke anger through shared nature
• Example: Anger at the 9/11 attacks on New York, even for those not directly harmed

Contempt as the Universal Cause of Anger #

• All causes of anger reduce to thinking little of someone (parvipensio)
• When someone despises what we most care about, we regard ourselves as despised
• Three forms of contempt:
  1. Despising (despectus): Direct disregard
  2. Blocking the will (parasmus): Impeding someone’s desires
  3. Insulting (contumelia): Treating with disrespect
• When one respects what we study, they respect us; when they despise it, they despise us

Aristotle’s Example of Philosophy Students #

• Those devoted to philosophy become especially angry when philosophy is despised or mocked as impractical
• The disregard for philosophy is interpreted as disregard for the philosopher
• This illustrates how contempt toward our goods becomes contempt toward us

Excellence and Defect as Conditions of Anger #

• Excellence as motive: Those with excellence are more deeply injured when despised in their area of excellence
• A philosopher despised for philosophy, a soldier despised for military prowess, a wealthy person despised for wealth
• The injury is perceived as more unjust because it opposes excellence
• Love of occupation: One naturally defends what one loves (“Love me, love my dog”)

Silence and Contempt #

• Being silent when insulted can provoke more anger than direct response
• Silence can be interpreted as contempt, as if the insulter deems the insulted person not worth even acknowledging
• Example: The Oriental cadet at West Point who simply smiled could not be provoked to anger because his behavior did not manifest contempt
• Conversely, the insulted cadet showed anger because he understood the insult as contempt for his appearance

Key Arguments #

Argument 1: Anger Requires Pertinence, Not Direct Harm #

Objection: God is angry at sinners, yet sinners cannot harm God; we become angry at injustice to others; therefore, injury to oneself is not always the motive of anger.

Response:

• The injury must pertain to the angry person through some relationship
• Through family bonds, the injury to a family member pertains to us
• Through friendship, we regard the friend as “another self” (alter ego)
• Through communion of nature, all humans share a common humanity
• Therefore, contempt shown to those related to us is contempt shown to us

Argument 2: Contempt as Universal Cause #

Objection: Animals become angry without considering honor; various causes (forgetfulness, injury) provoke anger without contempt being the cause.

Response:

• All causes reduce to thinking little (parvipensio) because anger seeks just punishment for unjust treatment
• What makes treatment unjust is that it opposes excellence
• Contempt is the manifestation that one’s excellence is not being regarded
• Even animals defend their excellence naturally (territory, social status)
• When someone despises what we care about, they indirectly despise us

Argument 3: The Role of Imagination vs. Reason #

• Anger arising from imagination can be directed at inanimate objects and oneself (kicking a car, throwing a pen)
• Anger arising from reason is only toward rational agents capable of injustice
• True anger requires rational apprehension of injury as unjust

Important Definitions #

• Parvipensio: Thinking little of someone; contempt or disregard for someone’s excellence or worthiness. The universal cause of all anger.
• Vindicta: Vengeance or just punishment; what the angry person desires as the remedy for injury
• Alter ego: “Another self”; how we regard close friends, making injury to them injury to us
• Contumelia: Insult or treatment with disrespect
• Despectus: Direct despising or disregard
• Parasmus: Blocking or impeding someone’s will and desires

Examples & Illustrations #

The Philosophy Student Example #

• A stranger at a Chinese restaurant dismisses philosophy as impractical when Berquist and his brother mention their studies
• The disregard for philosophy is interpreted as disregard for the philosophers
• Those devoted to philosophy become angry when philosophy itself is despised

The Insulted Cadet at West Point #

• A cadet is insulted about his short haircut, takes it as contempt for himself
• In contrast, an Oriental cadet simply smiles when insulted and cannot be provoked to anger
• Smiling is not a sign of contempt toward the insulter, so no anger arises

Socrates in the Phaedo #

• When accused of discussing irrelevant matters, Socrates defends philosophy by noting that dying men should investigate whether the soul is mortal
• He shows that what is most relevant is understanding the soul’s nature when death is imminent
• This illustrates defense of philosophical excellence against contempt

The Silent Response #

• When someone is silent in response to an insult, the insult may provoke more anger because silence is interpreted as contempt
• The silence seems to express “you’re not worth responding to,” which is itself contemptuous
• Contrasts with the smiling cadet, whose response shows he does not accept the contempt

Anger at Distant Injustice #

• Anger at tyranny in North Korea or attacks on New York occurs even when we are not directly harmed
• Through communion of nature, fellow human beings pertain to us
• Injustice to them, especially to innocent civilians, provokes our anger

Questions Addressed #

Article 1 (Q. 47): Is Something Done Against Oneself Always the Motive of Anger? #

Objection 1: God is angry at sinners, yet sinners harm God in no way; therefore, injury to oneself is not always the motive.

Objection 2: We become angry at injustice to others; therefore, the motive is not always injury to ourselves.

Objection 3: Philosophers become especially angry when philosophy is despised, yet despising philosophy does not directly harm the philosophers; therefore, contempt need not involve direct injury.

Resolution:

• Anger requires that the injury pertain to the angry person
• This can occur through affinity, friendship, or shared nature
• God’s anger is based on creatures’ contempt for His commands and harm to those under His care
• We become angry at injustice to others insofar as they pertain to us through various bonds

Article 2 (Implied): Is Thinking Little of Someone the Universal Cause of Anger? #

Objection: Not all cases of anger involve thinking little; animals become angry from injury without considering honor.

Resolution:

• All causes of anger reduce to thinking little because anger seeks just punishment for unjust treatment
• What makes treatment unjust is that it opposes excellence
• Contempt is the sign that excellence is not being regarded
• When we despise what someone loves, we effectively despise them

Subsidiary Question: Why Does Silence Provoke More Anger? #

Analysis:

• Being silent in response to insult seems to provoke more anger than responding
• Silence can manifest contempt: it suggests the insulted person is not worth acknowledging
• The angry person interprets silence as an act expressing contempt
• This illustrates that anger responds to the appearance of contempt in the other’s action

Philosophical Implications #

On the Relational Nature of Anger #

• Anger is not purely self-regarding; it depends on relationships between persons
• Family, friendship, and shared nature create bonds that make others’ injuries our own
• This grounds anger in social and relational reality, not merely individual harm

On Contempt and Excellence #

• Contempt is fundamentally about not regarding excellence
• We are hurt when what we value is despised because we value ourselves through what we care about
• This explains why excellence makes one more prone to anger: those with excellence have more to lose through contempt

On Imagination vs. Reason in Anger #

• Anger arising from imagination (at objects and oneself) lacks the rational structure of true anger
• True anger requires rational judgment that something is unjust
• This distinguishes between anger as a passion and anger as involving reason (ad qualitare)

The Limits of Direct Harm as a Criterion #

• The requirement of direct harm is too narrow to account for all genuine cases of anger
• Social relationships and shared nature extend the reach of anger beyond direct victims
• This shows the importance of considering pertinence rather than mere harm