Section I. On the Precept of Charity Toward Self

I. Existence of the precept. The precept of charity toward self is clear from Sacred Scripture: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."¹ Likewise it is clear from the intrinsic reason, which St. Thomas presents in these words: "We can speak of charity according to its proper account, namely insofar as it is man's friendship toward God principally, and consequently toward those things which are God's: among which is also the very man who has charity; and thus, among the other things which he loves out of charity as pertaining to God, he also loves himself out of charity" (II-II, q. 25, a. 4).

¹ Matthew 22:39.

II. Act of the precept. Charity toward self obliges to care for welfare both spiritual and bodily. But the duties of spiritual care coincide with the diverse duties to be fulfilled by man; hence we must speak only about care to be taken for temporal welfare. This obligation indeed is presented in these terms: Charity toward self prescribes self-preservation, that is, preservation of life, integrity of members, and health, and this at least by means ordinary for each one's state; there is no obligation of employing extraordinary means. We shall explain the individual points distinctly.

1. Self-preservation, that is, of life, etc., is prescribed. This is clear first from the fact that charity toward self prescribes that each one preserve that which constitutes himself according to his substance and as entire. Then it is drawn from the fact that life and members have been granted by God for use, namely that by means of them he may promote the honor of God, his own good, and the good of the community; this end is frustrated if they are not preserved.

2. Self-preservation must be procured at least by means ordinary for each one's state. This is immediately drawn from the preceding proposition. For there is, as we have said, an obligation of preserving life, etc. But he who does not use ordinary means does not preserve life, but neglects it.

3. There is no obligation of employing extraordinary means. For the life of an individual is not of such value that extraordinary things must be chosen for preserving it. Yet someone is bound, if he can, to use even extraordinary means if his life is necessary or very useful to the common good or to the family, and cannot be preserved without them (St. Alphonsus, III, 372).

Yet note that many means which formerly were extraordinary have already become ordinary, for example some surgical operations.

Corollary I. The obligation of applying ordinary means for preserving life carries with it the obligation of working to obtain the things necessary to oneself, if they cannot be obtained legitimately in another way.

Corollary II. No one of himself is bound: 1. to use medicine that is most costly; 2. to change residence or fatherland; 3. to suffer treatment joined with the greatest pains; 4. to undergo cutting off of members or a grave surgical operation whether dangerous, or - which nevertheless can commonly be forestalled - joined with the greatest pains. Likewise, quite probably, of himself one is not bound to a grave surgical operation which is neither dangerous nor joined with the greatest pains, but nevertheless is regarded as gravely burdensome. Yet I think that it, namely if it is not dangerous and can be performed without very great pains, can be imposed by a superior. Finally, a virgin quite probably is not bound, for preserving life, to permit herself to be treated in the more secret parts by a man, if this would be a cause of great shame to her; yet she is bound to permit herself to be treated by another woman (St. Alphonsus, III, 372). To what extent a mother can be bound to a Caesarean section, as it is called, see in the treatise on Baptism.