Question VI: Concerning Envy

I. Envy is inordinate sadness concerning the good of another, estimated as one's own evil, insofar as that good seems diminutive of one's own excellence. It is called:

1. sadness: this is concerning an evil viewed as joined to us, and thus envy differs from hatred, which concerns the good of the neighbor considered in the neighbor as absolutely evil;

2. concerning the good of another estimated as one's own evil: "the object of sadness is one's own evil; but it happens that what is another's good is apprehended as one's own evil, and thus there can be sadness concerning another's good";

3. insofar as it is diminutive of one's own excellence. Sadness concerning another's good, which is considered as an evil, can happen in four ways: a) when someone grieves concerning another's good because from it he fears harm to come either to himself or to other goods, and such sadness is an effect of fear; b) when someone is sad concerning another's good, not because the other himself has the good, but because we lack that good which he has, and this is zeal or emulation, which, if it concerns honorable goods, is praiseworthy; c) when someone is sad concerning another's good because he to whom the good happens is unworthy of it, and this sadness is called nemesis or indignation, which is good if it is done for a right end and with due subjection to the ordering of divine Providence; d) when someone grieves concerning another's good, insofar as the other exceeds him in goods and this is estimated as one's own evil, because it is diminutive of one's own glory or excellence; and this properly is envy. "And therefore men especially envy concerning those goods in which there is glory, and in which men love to be honored and to be in reputation";

4. inordinate: envy is always evil, because it grieves concerning that concerning which one ought to rejoice, namely concerning the good of the neighbor.¹

¹ St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 1 and 2; cf. Quaestiones disputatae de Malo, 10, a. 1 and 2.

II. The gravity of envy. - Envy is a mortal sin from its genus. For the genus of a sin is taken on the part of the object. But envy according to its object is opposed to charity, because as charity rejoices concerning the good of the neighbor, so envy is sad concerning it. Nevertheless it can be venial not only from lack of deliberation or imperfection of the act, but also from lightness of matter, if someone envies a slight good of the neighbor, for example that he wins in a game, say by running with him, or doing something of this kind.²

² St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 3; Quaestiones disputatae de Malo, 10, a. 2.

"There is a certain envy which is counted among the gravest sins, namely envy of fraternal grace, according as someone grieves concerning the very increase of the grace of God, not only concerning the good of the neighbor. Whence it is posited as a sin against the Holy Spirit, because through this envying man in some way envies the Holy Spirit, who is glorified in His works."³

³ St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 4 ad 2.

III. Envy is a capital sin. - A capital vice is a sin from which other vices are naturally apt to arise, especially according to the account of final cause. But as men are wont to do many things on account of delight, both so that they may obtain it and because from its impulse they are moved to act, so also on account of sadness they do many things, either so that they may avoid it, or because from it they are moved to do certain things. Whence, since envy is a certain sadness, it is deservedly numbered among the capital sins.

IV. Envy has five daughters. - Five, according to St. Gregory, Morals, book 31, c. 45 (or 17), are the sins which generally arise from envy.

For envy, because it is sadness concerning another's glory insofar as it is one's own evil, attempts to do something against the neighbor. But in this which it attempts to do, something is as beginning and principle, something as means, and something as terminus. The principle is that someone intends to diminish the glory of another, which happens secretly through whispering, openly through detraction. The means is that one wishing to diminish another's glory either can do so, and then there is born exultation in adversities, that is, joy in the evils of the neighbor; or he cannot do so, and then there arises affliction in prosperities, which is not envy itself, but its daughter, when the neighbor's prosperous things happen contrary to the attempt of the envying man who strives to impede them. Finally the terminus is in hatred of the neighbor, for as delight causes love, so sadness causes hatred.⁴

⁴ St. Thomas, II-II, q. 36, a. 4; Quaestiones disputatae de Malo, 10, a. 3.

V. Observations. - 1. Envy is especially concerning those goods in which there is glory and in which men love to be honored and to be in reputation, such as dignities, magistracies, insignia of titles, riches, beauty, adornment, celebrity of name, eloquence, condition, friendship, piety, virtues, etc., especially wisdom and happiness. Whence it arises from vain-glory, although it itself also is a capital sin.

2. The sin of envy is wont especially to be found among the ambitious and women, and among those who in some way are equals, for example of the same family, or at least approach in some respect, for example in learning, knowledge, virtue, etc.; for such persons wish to be equaled with or preferred to one another.

3. The penitent who accuses himself of envy is to be asked concerning the affection in which he thinks his envy was; for there are penitents who cannot sufficiently distinguish various affections, such as emulation, zeal, indignation, and dread of harm, from envy itself.

VI. Remedies against envy. - Several remedies can be numbered against envy, which are reduced to four:

The first is consideration of the insanity and irrationality proper to this vice, because envy does not diminish the good of the one envied but of the envying man; for it is torture without fruit and with great damage, on account of the evils which accompany it and on account of the root from which it arises, pride. From this we shall be readier to repel every movement of envy immediately.

The second is consideration of the dogma of the communion of saints, and of the spiritual society among the faithful and the incorporation of all into Christ; whence the good of each is in some way the good of all, and the goods of others are ours, concerning which it is not fitting to grieve but necessary to rejoice.

The third is a right estimation of goods, by which it happens that we do not value so highly temporal goods which are wont to be the occasion of envy, but prefer to all things the good of Christian virtue, and thus convert envy into noble emulation and zeal for progress in the spiritual life.

The fourth is the exercise of charity toward the neighbor, by which we give thanks and rejoice concerning his good, pray for his good, and strive to procure it; to these is to be added prayer for obtaining from God greater charity for ourselves.