§ 3. On The Enemies Of The Voluntary

Preliminary note. As appears from what was said above, n. 49, the voluntary is not the same as the free. For the sake of brevity we here treat together those things which attack the voluntary and the free. But since for a perfect voluntary act two principles are required, namely, cognition of the intellect and consent of the will, therefore whatever either takes away or diminishes either one also takes away or diminishes the voluntary, and is customarily called an enemy of the voluntary. Enemies of the voluntary of this kind are enumerated as six: 1. ignorance, 2. violence, 3. fear, 4. passion, 5. habit, 6. certain morbid states of the body. Each must be treated singly; nevertheless ignorance is omitted, of which sufficient discussion has already been had above. - Passion and habit are not always enemies of the voluntary, as will be said below in their places.