Sadler's Lectures Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Love, Dilection, Charity, and Friendship - Sadler's Lectures
Nov 9, 2025
Dive into the depths of love with insights from Thomas Aquinas! Discover the four distinct forms of love: amor, dilectio, caritas, and amicitia, and their unique characteristics. Explore the intriguing debate on love and friendship versus love based on desire. Sadler breaks down how charity serves as the ultimate expression of love. Learn about the moral implications of these distinctions and gain practical examples that showcase how intent shapes our understanding of love. A philosophical journey that enriches relational dynamics!
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Love Is A Family Of Related Terms
- Thomas Aquinas distinguishes multiple senses of love instead of treating it as a single term.
- Amor serves as an umbrella that can include delectio, caritas, and amicitia depending on context.
Delectio Equals Chosen Love
- Delectio involves choice and election and thus belongs to the will rather than the concupiscible appetite.
- Amor has a wider object because it also includes passions of the concupiscible appetite.
Charity And Friendship Differ In Form
- Caritas can be an act, a passion, or a habit and indicates a perfected, dearly held love.
- Amicitia is primarily a habit built up through repeated actions and patterns toward another.
