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Summa Theologiae · I-II, q. 19

Question 19. Of the Goodness and Malice of the Interior Act of the Will

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part of the Second Part. 10 articles.

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Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #17897, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The First Part of the Second Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We must now consider the goodness of the interior act of the will; under which head there are ten points of inquiry:

(1) Whether the goodness of the will depends on the object?

(2) Whether it depends on the object alone?

(3) Whether it depends on reason?

(4) Whether it depends on the eternal law?

(5) Whether erring reason binds?

(6) Whether the will is evil if it follows the erring reason against the law of God?

(7) Whether the goodness of the will in regard to the means, depends on the intention of the end?

(8) Whether the degree of goodness or malice in the will depends on the degree of good or evil in the intention?

(9) Whether the goodness of the will depends on its conformity to the Divine Will?

(10) Whether it is necessary for the human will, in order to be good, to be conformed to the Divine Will, as regards the thing willed?

Articles

  1. Whether the Goodness of the Will Depends on the Object?
  2. Whether the goodness of the will depends on the object alone?
  3. Whether the Goodness of the Will Depends on Reason?
  4. Whether the Goodness of the Will Depends on the Eternal Law?
  5. Whether the Will Is Evil When It Is at Variance with Erring Reason?
  6. Whether the Will Is Good When It Abides by Erring Reason?
  7. Whether the Goodness of the Will, As Regards the Means, Depends on the Intention of the End?
  8. Whether the Degree of Goodness or Malice in the Will Depends on the Degree of Good or Evil in the Intention?
  9. Whether the Goodness of the Will Depends on Its Conformity to the Divine Will?
  10. Whether It Is Necessary for the Human Will, in Order to Be Good, to Be Conformed to the Divine Will, As Regards the Thing Willed?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part. Project Gutenberg #17897. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.