An essential role in the realization of happiness is our powers of reason.
Enlightenment thinker Rousseau once argued that human emotions are sacred and outperform everything else in terms of power and value. Modern psychology often defines happiness as 'subjective well-being', a positive emotional state one feels. According to this, most of the problems experienced by individuals or society are due to the suppression of emotions. In contrast, the Stoics treat passion or emotion as an intense sensory impulse that must be fought against and abandoned in order not to violate reason and law. Then, should we follow or abandon our emotions in order to be happy? A theory that can shed new light on this question is found in St. Thomas Aquinas.
Exploring the inner principles of human behavior necessary for happiness, Thomas is the first to deal with the thesis on 'spirit' and dedicates considerable effort in its explanation. (I-II, qq.22-48). However, Thomas rarely uses the word 'emotion'. He sometimes uses the word (Affectus) to express feelings, but he mainly uses the word 'passio'.
In the broadest sense, the word passio means receiving something, receiving an action, or being subordinated to it. Thomas defines this word, which is commonly translated as passion, as "in relation to sensory needs, the internal change that occurs when the soul is moved by an external object" (I-II,22,1). Like all sensory activities, passion involves physical change.
A person's face turns red when he is angry, pale when he is afraid, and his heart beats faster when he has a craving. However, the subject that directly causes the physical change related to passion is not the ability to recognize, but the ability to desire. Furthermore, since passion is a phenomenon that follows sensory perception, not intellectual perception, it belongs to the ability to desire sensibly, not the will. (I-II,22,3), that is, passion, occurs when something perceived sensibly is evaluated as beneficial (good) or harmful (bad) (I,78,4)
Based on this explanation, Thomas does not unconditionally view passion negatively. "The passion itself is neither morally good nor evil. However, when it is guided according to reason, it becomes good, and when it is against reason, it becomes evil." (I-II,24,1)
Thomas believes that it is not an ethical fault for humans to feel passionate in itself, but that responsibility comes when they act under the influence of passion. In other words, it is natural to feel anger, but if you act aggressively in response, you must take moral responsibility for the absence of rational judgment. In this way, Thomas does not ask to abandon emotions, but sees them as the driving force of human behavior. Rather, being well-trained and using reason is essential to creating moral virtue.
For example, even if you feel a craving or pleasure in sweet food, if you can control it, you will maintain your health. In this way, human ethical legitimacy can be increased by a passion that "comes out" following the judgment of reason. (I-II,24,3,ad1)
Thomas thus criticizes the Stoic view of 'spirit', pointing out that suffering can only be called confusion or disease if it is not under the control of reason. (I-II,24,2)
The distinction between 'greedy passion' and 'angry passion'
Thomas further divides passion into two main categories according to Aristotle's tradition. First, 'Concupiscibilis passion' is itself attracted to an object recognized as good, and is an inner movement of 'wanting or longing for something'. (I-II, 22, 2) For example, the desire that arises toward clear water when thirsty, good grades, and expectations for friendship with friends. These include love, longing, joy, and sadness, which are reactions to sensory evil contrary to them.
Second, 'irascibilis passion' is a movement of the mind to resist and overcome any painful difficulties, injustice, or interference for good or evil that is difficult to reach. This includes hope and boldness, which are attitudes toward good that are difficult to pursue; despair and fear, which are reactions to evil that are difficult to overcome; and anger that arises from evil that has already been experienced. (I-II, 23,4) Thomas summarizes passion into 11 categories, each of which has a structure that is paired with its opposite, such as 'love-hate', 'joy-sadness', and 'hope-desperation'.
Proper control of passion is a strong foundation for happiness. Thomas was concerned that excessive passion overwhelms reason, hinders moral decisions, and leads to inappropriate behavioral choices. It can even be crazy because of anger or love. (I-II,77,1) Even if passion does not determine happiness alone, it plays an essential role in realizing happiness when it is well tamed by reason and combined with moral virtue (I-II,59,5). For example, there is a passion for 'anger', but if you judge it rationally and channel it into the practice and realization of justice to help the weak, it can be sublimated into a virtue of 'courage'. In this way, happiness is linked to 'true and complete joy' resulting from the positive embodiment and control of passion.
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