Herald 9

Argument and Figures

“Besides, whatever is properly and of itself the cause of something tends toward a
proper effect. So, if evil were of itself the cause of anything, it would tend toward
an effect proper to it; namely, evil. But this is false, for it has been shown that
every agent tends toward the good. Therefore, evil is not the cause of anything
through evil itself, but only accidentally. Now, every accidental cause reduces to a
cause that works through itself. And only the good can be a cause
through itself, for evil cannot be a cause through itself. Therefore, evil is caused
by the good.” —Summa Contra Gentiles 3.10.4

P1 = __ is a per se cause; T1 = __ tends towards a proper effect, E1 = __ is evil;

S2 = __ is a proper effect of __; A1 = __is an accidental cause; C1 = __is a cause;
G1 = __is a good; B2 = __is an effect of__.

1. Whatever is a per se cause tends towards a

proper effect.
2. Therefore, If evil were a per se cause it would
tend toward a proper effect.
3. If an evil had a proper effect, that effect is evil.
4. However, every per se cause tends towards
some good as its proper effect.
5. Therefore, no evil is a per se cause.
6. Any cause which is not a per se cause is an
accidental cause.
7. Every per se cause is a cause
8. Therefore, if evil is a cause it is an accidental
cause.
9. Everything which is not evil is good.
10. Therefore, only the good can be a per se
cause.
11. Every evil has a cause.
12. Every cause is either accidental or per se.
13. Every accidental cause reduces to a per se
cause.
14. Therefore, some good is a per se cause of
every evil.
Herald 10
Herald 11
Herald 12