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Summa Theologiae · II-II, q. 66

Question 66. Of Theft and Robbery

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Second Part of the Second Part. 9 articles.

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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 sins opposed to justice, whereby a man injures his neighbor in his belongings; namely theft and robbery.

Under this head there are nine points of inquiry:

(1) Whether it is natural to man to possess external things?

(2) Whether it is lawful for a man to possess something as his own?

(3) Whether theft is the secret taking of another's property?

(4) Whether robbery is a species of sin distinct from theft?

(5) Whether every theft is a sin?

(6) Whether theft is a mortal sin?

(7) Whether it is lawful to thieve in a case of necessity?

(8) Whether every robbery is a mortal sin?

(9) Whether robbery is a more grievous sin than theft?

Articles

  1. Whether It Is Natural for Man to Possess External Things?
  2. Whether It Is Lawful for a Man to Possess a Thing As His Own?
  3. Whether the Essence of Theft Consists in Taking Another's Thing Secretly?
  4. Whether Theft and Robbery Are Sins of Different Species?
  5. Whether Theft Is Always a Sin?
  6. Whether Theft Is a Mortal Sin?
  7. Whether It Is Lawful to Steal Through Stress of Need?
  8. Whether Robbery May Be Committed Without Sin?
  9. Whether Theft Is a More Grievous Sin Than Robbery?

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.