Vices lurking within that destroy true happiness... must be corrected through love.
Despite possessing material abundance and technological connectivity, modern society faces a profound spiritual and ethical crisis. The intense sense of deprivation and jealousy felt when witnessing others' happiness on social media, the indiscriminate hatred and condemnation spewed at specific targets from behind the veil of anonymity, and the pervasive lethargy and depression regarding anything of true value have become part of daily life for modern people.
These phenomena prompt us to ask: In an era where we derive joy from others' misfortunes, immerse ourselves in sensory pleasures rather than spiritual values, and label those with differing opinions as "enemies," can we truly attain happiness? If so, how should we govern the twisted desires and vices within us? We can find the answer in the "order of true love" (*ordo caritatis*) proposed by Thomas Aquinas. It is a sophisticated system of wisdom that strikes a balance between reckless selfishness and blind self-sacrifice. Vices that run counter to the internal and external effects of true love are fatal obstacles that destroy true human happiness.
Vices such as hatred, sloth, envy, discord, and scandal... fatal obstacles blocking true happiness. Thomas emphasizes that the three loves—love of God, love of self, and love of neighbor—are not separate and distinct virtues; rather, while directed toward different objects, they are essentially a single virtue. This is because true love involves loving God as the source of true happiness and loving one's neighbor as a fellow participant in that happiness.
Furthermore, love of self is not the commonly criticized form of selfishness; it possesses the character of friendship, seeking to affirm and preserve one's own soul in union with God. Since Thomas viewed ontological unity with oneself as prior to unity with others, he explains that proper self-affirmation serves as the primordial model for love of neighbor.
Love of neighbor, too, is not based on the other person's attractiveness or merit; rather, it is grounded in the fact that the neighbor—like oneself—is a fellow sharer in God's true happiness and is created in God's image.
However, to effectively realize true love, we must prioritize loving those closest to us—such as parents and family—and gradually expand the scope of our love to encompass all neighbors. It is only through this organic order that human beings can advance to the most difficult stage of love: loving one’s enemies. Yet, is it truly possible to love an enemy who harms us?
While the act of loving an enemy may seem like an impossible demand that runs counter to human emotion, for Thomas, it serves as the most powerful proof of the divine excellence inherent in true love. He draws a strict distinction, noting that loving an enemy *as* an enemy—that is, loving their malice and hostility—is not only impossible but also wicked.
However, he argues that even if an enemy is someone who harms us, they remain a human being called to true happiness in God; in this essential sense, they can be an object of love. Loving a friend with whom one shares emotional intimacy is a good act consistent with natural inclination, but loving an enemy solely for the sake of God demands a far more robust capacity for true love.
Thus, loving an enemy is the fruit of a rational and volitional decision directed toward God; in this respect, it possesses a superior excellence as it demonstrates a more powerful capacity for true love. Yet, this noble movement of true love is constantly threatened by various vices lurking within us.