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

IV. On Eutrapely

463.

I. Notion of Eutrapely. Eutrapely is a moral virtue inclining man to moderate actions and words in playful matters and jokes, according to the prescription of reason illumined by faith (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 168, a. 4).

Eutrapelia (Recreation and Jesting)

464.

II. Object of Eutrapely. 1. The remote material object is formed by playful actions and joking words; the proximate object is the passions which are occupied around these actions and words.

  1. The remote formal object is the reason of debt of preserving the right measure in playful and joking things; the proximate formal object is the special moral goodness shining forth in preserving the aforesaid measure.

Eutrapelia (Recreation and Jesting)

465.

III. Opposed Vices. By excess, scurrility is opposed to eutrapely, by which someone uses playful things and jokes beyond the measure of right reason (cf. St. Thomas, II-II, q. 168, a. 3); by defect, moroseness, by which someone abstains from playful things and jokes against the prescription of right reason (cf. St. Thomas, II-II, q. 168, a. 4).1

1 Cf. Salmanticenses, Arb. praed., n. 157 (p. 502).

Eutrapelia (Recreation and Jesting)