Chapter I. On Restitution on Account of Damage in the Goods of the Soul

In general, each person is held from justice to repair the damage which he has effectively and unjustly brought upon his neighbor in the goods, both natural and supernatural, of the soul, provided that damage can be repaired in the same order. For each person has no less strict a right not to be injured in goods of this kind than not to be injured in goods of fortune.

723. Resolves. - As regards damage in supernatural goods:

1. He who by force, lie, fraud, or unjust fear has induced someone into mortal sin, is held under mortal sin from justice to the reparation of the damage, by removing the force or seduction, manifesting the error, etc. But he who without force or fraud, but only by counsel, has induced someone to sin mortally, is indeed held from charity to revoke that counsel, but not from justice, because injury is not done to one knowing and willing. - St. Lig., n. 660-661. ¹.

¹ The Author, both in the present resolution and in the following resolutions, omits the hypothesis of damage of which you really were the cause, but without deceit, as when, for example, you narrate to another certain false things which you thought true. To this point pertain the things which the Author handed down above, n. 662, q. 3, concerning one not impeding damages to which he has inculpably given cause.

2. He who by deceit induced another into error, especially practical error, from which grave damage can arise for him in the matter of morals, is held from justice to repair the damages which thence proceed, and therefore with all care to remove him from the error. Say the same of speculative error concerning the articles of Faith.

3. He who through force, grave fear, or fraud impeded someone from entering Religion, or induced one already entered to desert religion, is held from justice to remove the fraud and deceit; for each one has a right not to be unjustly impeded or drawn away from the attainment or possession of so great a good. - St. Lig., n. 662.

724. • As regards damage in natural goods:

1. He who deprived another of memory, reason, etc., through poison, a love-potion, etc., is held from justice to repair all that is reparable from the damage unjustly inflicted.

2. He who by fraud impedes another from learning science, art, etc., or from teaching others, is held to drive away the fraud, and to repair the temporal damages which have arisen thence.

3. He who from office must teach an art or science is held to correct errors, if he has admitted any of some moment. The same obligation also lies upon him if through carelessness or levity he has mixed probable things with improbable ones.

4. But if someone gratuitously and without obligation of pact or office were to teach badly from negligence or ignorance, fraud and deceit being excluded, he would not be held to reparation ².

² According to the mind of the Author, he who teaches badly is here to be understood as one from whose teaching either no progress or only slight progress is drawn, but not as one who imbues his hearers with errors. For in this second hypothesis the badly unoccupied teacher would have to be equated at least with one who, without formal injury, inflicts damage upon someone, for example, one who has in no way professed the medical art and inconsiderately counsels some harmful medicine to a sick person; for when he adverts to his error, he is certainly held to forestall the damage with less or greater inconvenience to himself according to the greater or lesser fault of his negligence and temerity, and the greater or lesser danger of another's damage.