Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book I. On the General Principles of the Christian Life › Treatise III. On Those Things which Dispose Toward Human Acts, or on Habits › Dissertation I. On Virtues › Part II. On Virtues in Particular › Section II. On Supernatural Moral Virtues › Chapter II. On Supernatural Moral Virtues in Particular › Article IV. On Temperance › § IV. On the Potential Parts of Temperance › Point III. On Modesty

Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

II. On Studiosity

457.

I. Notion of Studiosity. Studiosity is a moral virtue inclining man to moderate the appetite for knowing, according to the prescription of reason illumined by faith.

Studiosity and Curiosity

458.

II. Object of Studiosity. 1. The remote material object is constituted by all acts, or all studies, by which knowledge of things is acquired; the proximate object is the inclination itself for knowing. Since on the part of the body there exists in man an inclination to flee studies because of the labor joined to them, but on the part of the soul there is in him a vehement inclination for knowing, it belongs to this virtue both to urge on the inclination of the body and to restrain the desire of the soul.

Although the name studiosity rather designates the first office, nevertheless studiosity is not counted among the potential parts of fortitude, but is reckoned among the potential parts of temperance because of the second office; and this rightly and deservedly. For, as the Salmanticenses rightly observe with St. Thomas (II-II, q. 166, a. 2, ad 3): "the difficulty which is in moderating the appetite for study has more of itself toward virtue, as holding itself on the part of the soul, in which there is an inclination and propensity for knowing, than that which is in impelling, which comes from impediments holding themselves on the part of the body" (cf. St. Thomas, II-II, q. 166, a. 2, corpus).

  1. The remote formal object is the reason of debt of urging on the sluggishness of the body with respect to studies and restraining the desire of the soul, according to the prescription of reason; the proximate formal object consists in the special moral goodness which shines forth in the said moderation.

Studiosity and Curiosity

459.

III. Opposed Vices. By excess, curiosity is opposed to studiosity, which inclines one to satisfy the appetite for knowing too much, by applying oneself to useless or harmful studies (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 167, a. 1). By defect, negligence, inclining one to omit or to do slackly the studies of those things which one is bound to learn and know.1

1 Arb. praed., n. 152 (t. 6, p. 499). Cf. Salmanticenses, Arb. praed., n. 153 (p. 499); Billuart, diss. 7, a. 4, § 3; St. Augustine, Epistula 118 (ed. G., t. 2, col. 490 sqq.), Sermo 355, c. 6, n. 6 (ibid., t. 5, col. 2041), and Epistula 218 (ibid., col. 1227 sqq.); St. Bernard, Sermo 36 on the Canticle (M.P.L. 183, col. 907 sqq.).

PrudenceNegligenceStudiosity and Curiosity