Catholic Candle note: The article below is part eighteen of the study of the Choleric temperament. Here are links to the first seventeen parts:

1. Part I: Beginning our Study of the Choleric Temperament: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/08/27/lesson-35-about-the-temperaments-the-choleric-temperament/
   

2. Part II: A general overview of the weaknesses of the Choleric Temperament: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/09/26/lesson-37-about-the-temperaments-continuation-of-the-choleric-temperament/
   

3. Part III: A consideration of the pride of the Choleric Temperament: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/10/24/lesson-38-temperaments-choleric-temperament-their-spiritual-combat/
   

4. Part IV: A general discussion of anger as a passion – in order to establish a foundation for studying anger in the Choleric Temperament: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/11/26/lesson-39-temperaments-choleric-temperament-their-spiritual-combat-part-iv/
   

5. Part V: Concerning the motivations for anger: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/12/30/lesson-40-temperaments-choleric-temperament-their-spiritual-combat-part-v/
   

6. Part VI: Concerning what anger does to the body: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/01/27/lesson-41-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-vi/
   

7. Part VII: Explaining when anger is sinful: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/02/21/lesson-42-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-vii/
   

8. Part VIII: Explaining how being slighted provokes anger: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/03/27/lesson-42-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-viii/
   

9. Part IX: Explaining how anger turns into the sin of holding a grudge: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/04/23/lesson-44-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-ix/
   

10. Part X: Recommendations to help cholerics to overcome pride: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/05/20/lesson-45-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-x/
    

11. Part XI: Explaining how a person sins by not using his reason: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/06/28/lesson-46-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xi/
    

12. Part XII: Explaining some reasons why a choleric does not use his reason properly: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/07/24/lesson-47-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xii/
    

13. Part XIII: Explaining why the choleric fears to use his reason well: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/08/29/lesson-48-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xiii/
    

14. Part XIV: Explaining generally how Satan targets our fallen and weakened intellects: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/09/24/lesson-49-temperaments-choleric-temperament-the-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xiv/

15. Part XV: Explaining the passions in general, to lay the foundation for our consideration of the passion of fear: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/10/26/3050/

16. Part XVI: Explaining fear as a passion: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/11/25/lesson-51-temperaments-choleric-temperament-the-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xvi/

17. Part XVII: Explaining how fear works in the soul and influences all of the temperaments: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/12/29/lesson-52-temperaments-choleric-temperament-the-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xvii/
    

Mary’s School of Sanctity

Lesson #53 About the Temperaments Part XVIII – Explaining how Pain and Death Are Objects of Fear for Persons of Any Temperament

Note: When referring to a person with a choleric temperament in this article we simply will refer to him as a choleric.

In our last lesson we saw how St. Thomas sets forth the way in which fear works in the soul. We saw that there are three appetitive powers in the soul and how each of these powers is used for the general purpose of pursuing something good (or what appears to be good) and avoiding something evil (or what appears to be evil).

Now let us consider the evil that St. Thomas calls an evil of nature – viz., things that cause pain and/or death and also why it is that man fears these.

St. Thomas quotes the great Philosopher Aristotle, who teaches that “fear is caused by the imagination of a future evil which is either corruptive or painful.”¹

St. Thomas Explains What It Means for Something to be an Evil of Nature

St. Thomas teaches that, just as a painful evil is that which is contrary to the will, so similarly a corruptive evil is that which is contrary to nature. This latter evil is properly described as “an evil of nature” because it is opposed to our nature. Just as evil is the absence of a good that something should have, so likewise an evil of nature is the absence of a good that belongs to nature. In this we see that an evil of nature can be the object of fear because it is the absence of something good which belongs to nature.

The evil of nature can arise from either a natural cause or a non-natural cause:

• When it comes from a natural cause it is called an evil of nature not only from the deprivation of a good of nature, but also because this evil is an effect of nature, such as natural death and other like defects.

• The evil of nature can arise from a non-natural cause, such as violent death inflicted by an assailant.

In either case the evil of nature is feared to a certain extent, and to a certain extent it is not feared.

For since fear arises from the imagination of future evil, as Aristotle explains,² whatever removes our imagining of this future evil, removes the fear also. Moreover, if we reflect, we see that there are two ways that a future evil might not be feared – either because it is not considered as an evil or because it is not considered as future:

1. Because it is remote and far off: for, on account of such distance, a thing is considered as though it were not to be. Hence we either do not fear it, or fear it but little; for, as Aristotle teaches³, we do not fear things that are very far off. This explains why so many people, e.g., most young people, do not fear death or think about it. They know that they will die but death appears to them to be far off so they do not think about it or fear it.
   

2. A future evil is considered as though it is present (not future) and thus, as being inevitable and not escapable. As an example of this, Aristotle teaches⁴ that those who are already on the scaffold, are not afraid because they are on the very point of a death from which there is no escape. This is because, in order that a man be afraid, there must be some hope of escape for him. If there is no hope of escape, the man has sorrow but not fear.

Consequently, evil of nature is not feared if it be not apprehended as something in the future. But if the evil of nature (that is corruptive) be understood as being near at hand, and yet with some hope of escape, then it will be feared.⁵

Some Further Considerations from St. Thomas

St. Thomas adds that sometimes the evil of nature is an effect of nature and the man cannot avoid it. However, he might try to delay that evil as long as possible. Thus, a man might seek advice and consider how he can defer death and avoid it as long as possible. However, when death does not seem to be near at hand, one does not fear it or consider how to avoid it.

Death and other defects of nature are the effects of the human nature that we have in common. Yet the individual nature rebels against them as far as it can. Accordingly, from the inclination of nature there arises pain and sorrow for such like evils, when present. There arises fear when these evils are imagined in the foreseeable future.⁶

Further reflection: Of course, it is appropriate to fear death especially in the aspect that with death, we will face our Divine Judge and have to render an account of our lives. This is especially true when we are ill-prepared to obtain a favorable judgment from Him. But, if we focus our efforts on pleasing God and living a just life, then we will be able to foster a filial fear of God and not merely the servile fear of facing God’s just punishments.

A Preview …

In our next lesson, we will continue our study of the objects of fear. We will discuss St. Thomas’s explanation of the next aspect of fear, viz., Whether the Evil of Sin Is an Object of Fear. In that discussion St. Thomas makes the important distinction between pain and sorrow on one hand and fear on the other hand. At that point, we will be able to make some practical applications for the spiritual life.