The Intellect, the Will, and the Emotions

Some Fundamental Points on Human Nature

Conrad Baars M.D.

…man’s emotions have an innate need to be guided and directed by reason.  That is to say that they need and desire to be guided by their very nature.  …When an emotion receives its proper guidance, it is satisfied and is now disposed to submit to the decision of the will as to what course of action shall be taken.

The Hierarchy of Beingin the Material Universe

There is an order in nature from the lower to the higher to the highest

Mineral Level

Vegetative Level

The Animal Level

The Human Level

The Mineral Level

Non-living matter: the periodic table of elements.

Living things: biology.

Living things are characterized by growth, reproduction, and nutritive activity.

The Vegetative Level

A n i m a l s h av e e v e r y t h i n g t h a t p l a n t s h av e ( i . e . , g r o w t h , r e p ro d u c ti o n , n u t r i ti o n ) b u t m o r e . A n a n i m a l h a s t h e p o w e r o f s e n s e p e rc e p ti o n a n d s e n s e a p p eti te .

The Animal Level

The Human Level

Human beings have everything plants have (growth, reproduction, nutrition), and everything animals have (sense perception and sense appetite), but they have more: intelligence and will (or rationality and free choice)

Two Kinds of GoodsSensible and Intelligible

Animals have an appetite for sensible goods (goods that are pleasing to the senses).

Intelligible GoodsHuman beings also have an appetite for sensible goods, but most importantly, they have an appetite for intelligible goods: i.e., truth, beauty, friendship, marriage, etc.

ManIntellect (mind): understands the natures of thingsWILL: RATIONAL APPETITE -- DESIRES INTELLIGIBLE GOODS

5 Senses: perceives the sense qualities of particular things (colors, taste, odor, sound, etc)SENSE APPETITES: EMOTIONS – DESIRES SENSIBLE GOODS (OR IS AVERSE TO SENSIBLE EVILS)

The Human EmotionsThe emotions or passions often get in the way of human reason. That is why it is worth coming to understand them.

The human emotions stem from two sensitive appetites

The Sensitive Appetites

Sensitive Appetites

Concupiscible appetite

Irascible appetite

Emotions of the Concupiscible or Pleasure Appetite

Love, Desire, Satisfaction

The animal sees the red meat, loves red meat, desires the red meat, feels pleasure eating the red meat.

The person sees the cake, loves cake, desires cake, feels satisfied eating the cake.

Emotions of the Concupiscible or Pleasure Appetite

Hate, Aversion, Sorrow

The animal sees the skunk, hates the smell of skunk, experiences aversion and tries to move away, experiences sorrow (the opposite of pleasure)

Emotions of the Irascible or aggressive appetite

Hope and Despair

Hope and Despair

The animal desires the red meat, but it is now difficult to get (it is on the table). He hopes to receive it, tries to get it, eventually despairs of getting to it.

DARING, FEAR, ANGER

Daring, Fear, Anger

The animal perceives something that is a threat to his existence (i.e., a large animal). If he evaluates that the threat is surmountable, he will experience daring, if it is insurmountable, he will experience fear. Fear and sorrow can lead to anger, and anger can compel the animal to rise above the difficulty.

Disorder

Concupiscible appetite

Irascible appetite

Intellect

Will

Bestial Life.

A disordered life is one that is governed by the passions. A person does what he feels like, not what is reasonable.

Ordered Life

Concupiscible appetite Irascible appetite

Will

Reason

The emotions need to be ordered and directed by reason. An ordered life is one in which reason governs the passions.

Wind chimes sound beautiful

The result of such order is harmony and beauty. A person who is governed by his passions is disordered and morally repugnant.

An engine with all its parts in the right order is more powerful than one that is out of order.

So too, those whose passions are ordered by reason are more passionate people.

The Intellectual Virtues:

Wisdom, Science, Understanding.

The Intellect

The Will

The irascible appetite

The concupiscible appetite

Prudence

Justice

Courage

Temperance

The Moral Virtues

Beautiful (Noble) Character