w when a passion draws the will to that which is
really good, it does not influence the reason against its knowledge;
and when it draws it to that which is good apparently, but not
really, it draws it to that which appears good to the reason. But
what appears to the reason is in the knowledge of the reason.
Therefore a passion never influences the reason against its knowledge.
Obj. 3: Further, if it be said that it draws the reason from its
knowledge of something in general, to form a contrary judgment about
a particular matter--on the contrary, if a universal and a particular
proposition be opposed, they are opposed by contradiction, e.g.
"Every man," and "Not every man." Now if two opinions contradict one
another, they are contrary to one another, as stated in _Peri Herm._
ii. If therefore anyone, while knowing something in general, were to
pronounce an opposite judgment in a particular case, he would have
two contrary opinions at the same time, which is impossible.
Obj. 4: Further, whoever knows the universal, knows also the
particular which he knows to be contained in the universal: thus who
knows that every mule is sterile, knows that this particular animal
is sterile, provided he knows it to be a mule, as is clear from
_Poster._ i, text. 2. Now he who knows something in general, e.g.
that "no fornication is lawful," knows this general proposition to
contain, for example, the particular proposition, "This is an act of
fornication." Therefore it seems that his knowledge extends to the
particular.
Obj. 5: Further, according to the Philosopher (Peri Herm. i), "words
express the thoughts of the mind." Now it often happens that man,
while in a state of passion, confesses that what he has chosen is an
evil, even in that particular case. Therefore he has knowledge, even
in particular.
Therefore it seems that the passions cannot draw the reason against
its universal knowledge; because it is impossible for it to have
universal knowledge together with an opposite particular judgment.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Rom. 7:23): "I see another law
in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating
me in the law of sin." Now the law that is in the members is
concupiscence, of which he had been speaking previously. Since then
concupiscence is a passion, it seems that a passion draws the reason
counter to its knowledge.
_I answer that,_ As the Philosopher states (Ethic. vii, 2), the
opinion of
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