EVIL according to Saint Thomas Aquinas Volume VIII

The present work constitutes Volume VIII of the series Thomistic Wisdom: Reflections on Evil, devoted to the systematic philosophical and theological study of the Quaestiones Disputatae de Malo of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

This volume (the last of the series) offers a complete analysis of Question XVI, which deals with the nature, sin, knowledge, and operations of demons. Through the scholastic method proper to the Angelic Doctor, the reader will be able to delve into metaphysical, anthropological, and theological questions of enormous importance: the spiritual nature of demons, the sin of pride of the Devil, the problem of angelic free will, the limits of demonic knowledge, its relation to the future and to human thoughts, as well as the scope and limits of demonic action upon the corporeal world and upon the sensitive and intellectual faculties of man.

The work develops and explains in detail each of the Articles of Question XVI:

• The Corporeality of Demons
• Demonic Malice: Nature and Will
• The Sin of Pride and the Desire for Divine Equality
• The Sin of the Devil in the First Instant of His Creation
• The Free Will of Demons and the Irreversibility of Their Choice
• The Problem of Error and Falsehood in the Demonic Intellect
• Demonic Knowledge of the Future
• Demonic Knowledge of Human Thoughts
• Demonic Action upon Bodies
• The Local Motion of Bodies
• The Influence upon the Senses and the Imagination
• Action upon the Human Intellect

The book also includes a General Synthesis of Question XVI, intended to facilitate an organic understanding of the subjects treated and to display the admirable internal coherence of the thought of the Angelic Doctor.

Finally, the volume concludes with an Epilogue written in the form of questions and answers, following the author's characteristic style. This method allows the reader to grasp the fundamental concepts more clearly, encourages an orderly recapitulation of the contents, and facilitates both personal study and academic teaching and discussion. The dialogical structure helps the reader identify common objections, clarify essential distinctions, and consolidate learning in a progressive and pedagogical manner.

This work is intended both for specialists in philosophy and theology and for students and readers interested in gaining a profound understanding of Thomistic doctrine concerning evil, the fallen angels, and demonic action, always from the metaphysical and theological rigor proper to the Angelic Doctor.