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Summa Theologiae · II-II, q. 26

Question 26. Of the Order of Charity

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Second Part of the Second Part. 13 articles.

Read in the reading room → This question at New Advent

Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #18755, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The Second Part of the Second Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We must now consider the order of charity, under which head there are thirteen points of inquiry:

(1) Whether there is an order in charity?

(2) Whether man ought to love God more than his neighbor?

(3) Whether more than himself?

(4) Whether he ought to love himself more than his neighbor?

(5) Whether man ought to love his neighbor more than his own body?

(6) Whether he ought to love one neighbor more than another?

(7) Whether he ought to love more, a neighbor who is better, or one who is more closely united to him?

(8) Whether he ought to love more, one who is akin to him by blood, or one who is united to him by other ties?

(9) Whether, out of charity, a man ought to love his son more than his father?

(10) Whether he ought to love his mother more than his father?

(11) Whether he ought to love his wife more than his father or mother?

(12) Whether we ought to love those who are kind to us more than those whom we are kind to?

(13) Whether the order of charity endures in heaven?

Articles

  1. Whether There Is Order in Charity?
  2. Whether God Ought to Be Loved More Than Our Neighbor?
  3. Whether Out of Charity, Man Is Bound to Love God More Than Himself?
  4. Whether Out of Charity, Man Ought to Love Himself More Than His Neighbor?
  5. Whether a Man Ought to Love His Neighbor More Than His Own Body?
  6. Whether We Ought to Love One Neighbor More Than Another?
  7. Whether We Ought to Love Those Who Are Better More Than Those Who Are More Closely United Us?
  8. Whether We Ought to Love More Those Who Are Connected with Us by Ties of Blood?
  9. Whether a Man Ought, Out of Charity, to Love His Children More Than His Father?
  10. Whether a Man Ought to Love His Mother More Than His Father?
  11. Whether a Man Ought to Love His Wife More Than His Father and Mother?
  12. Whether a Man Ought to Love More His Benefactor Than One He Has Benefited?
  13. Whether the Order of Charity Endures in Heaven?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part. Project Gutenberg #18755. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.