Chapter I. On the Notion of Fortitude

620. Preliminary note. "The name of fortitude can be taken in two ways: in one way, insofar as it absolutely imports a certain firmness of soul, and in this respect it is a general virtue, or rather a condition of every virtue, because for virtue it is required to act firmly and immovably. In another way fortitude can be taken insofar as it imports firmness only in enduring and repelling those things in which it is especially difficult to have firmness, namely, in certain grave dangers; whence Tully says that fortitude is the deliberate undertaking of dangers and endurance of labors."¹⁰⁹⁶ Omitting the first, general acceptation of fortitude, we speak only of fortitude in the latter sense. Fortitude so accepted can be defined in the following manner:

Definition. Fortitude¹⁰⁹⁷ is a cardinal virtue by which the irascible appetite (and the will) is so strengthened that it does not desist from pursuing an arduous good even on account of the greatest dangers to bodily life.

It is explained. Although other virtues also can impel a man to pursue the good even amid the greatest dangers, nevertheless it is one thing to exercise a work of virtue on account of these motives, and another to do this same thing on account of the nobility of fortitude, namely, because it befits a man to be broken by no bodily evils. Horace the poet already expressed this beautifully:¹⁰⁹⁸ "If the shattered world should fall upon him, the ruins will strike him unafraid."

Fortitude (like prudence and the other moral virtues) is both natural and supernatural, according as it is acquired by one's own powers or infused by God together with sanctifying grace. The natural virtue of fortitude pursues an arduous natural good; but the supernatural virtue of fortitude customarily attains a supernatural object.

The subject of each fortitude is the irascible appetite, insofar, however, as it is subject to the will. For fortitude renders the irascible appetite firm and powerful for promptly and easily moderating the passions of fear and daring when the greatest dangers press. Once this firmness has been established, the will can then expeditiously and easily choose the just mean, namely, lest there be excessive fear or excessive daring. Therefore, although properly speaking fortitude resides in the irascible appetite, nevertheless it directly exercises its overflowing influence upon the will.¹⁰⁹⁹

The material object of fortitude is the extreme dangers, especially of death¹¹⁰⁰ (the remote object), or rather the fears arising on account of those dangers, for example, in a just war or in the defense of some virtue (the proximate object). Robbers, however, duellists, and those waging an unjust war, although they do not fear the dangers of death, do not possess the virtue of fortitude, but rather the vice of fearlessness and daring, because they do not act according to right reason.

The formal object quod of fortitude is the right expulsion of these fears and the restraint of excessive daring. But after a great evil has already arrived, fortitude also moderates the sadness that arises, although it pertains principally to patience to be occupied with moderating sadnesses.¹¹⁰¹ Hence St. Lawrence exercised heroic fortitude: 1. by spiritedly confronting the tyrant and vigorously repelling his iniquitous commands; 2. by joyfully enduring the most atrocious pains in martyrdom.

¹⁰⁹⁶ S. theol. 2, 2, q. 123, a. 2.

¹⁰⁹⁷ Starkmut, Seelentapferkeit, bravoure de l'âme [steadfast courage, fortitude of soul, bravery of soul].

¹⁰⁹⁸ Carm. 3, 3.

¹⁰⁹⁹ Tanquerey (Synopsis theol. mor. n. 1061) incorrectly says that fortitude resides primarily in the will and secondarily in the irascible part. Cf. S. theol. 1, 2, q. 61, a. 2.

¹¹⁰⁰ S. theol. 2, 2, q. 123, a. 4.

¹¹⁰¹ Ib., q. 136, a. 4 ad 2.

621. The gift of fortitude infused by the Holy Spirit¹¹⁰² is always joined with the supernatural virtue of fortitude. This gift of fortitude is an infused quality by which someone, from a special motion of the Holy Spirit and beyond the connatural mode of acting, arrives at the end of every good work begun, with confidence of escaping all dangers. The virtue of fortitude indeed perfects the soul for enduring any dangers whatsoever, but it does not sufficiently give confidence of escaping any dangers whatsoever; this is supplied by the gift of fortitude. To the point the Angelic Doctor writes: "For sometimes it is not within man's power to attain the end of his work or to escape evils or dangers, since sometimes he is overwhelmed by them unto death; but the Holy Spirit effects this in man, while He leads him to eternal life, which is the end of all good works and the escape from all dangers; and the Holy Spirit infuses into the mind a certain confidence concerning this, excluding the contrary fear; and in this respect fortitude is posited as a gift of the Holy Spirit."¹¹⁰³

The fourth beatitude, namely, "Blessed are they who thirst and hunger after justice," corresponds to the gift of fortitude; for fortitude consists in arduous things; but it is very arduous that someone should not only perform virtuous works but perform them with a certain insatiable desire, which can be signified by hunger and thirst after justice.

Two fruits of the Holy Spirit are posited which sufficiently correspond to the gift of fortitude, namely, patience, which regards the endurance of evils, and longanimity, which can regard the prolonged expectation and operation of good things.¹¹⁰⁴

¹¹⁰² Cf. above, I, n. 452.

¹¹⁰³ Cf. S. theol. 2, 2, q. 139, a. 1.

¹¹⁰⁴ Ib., a. 2.