Verbal Injustice: Thomas Aquinas on Abuse with Words

Abstract: Abusive language is one of the most disruptive and cruel forces in human society. Thomas Aquinas’s discussion of the topic in the Summa Theologiae (II-II, q. 72–76) has not received the attention it deserves. Verbal abuse is, according to him, not only a sin against charity: It is essentially an act of injustice in so far as it infringes on one’s right to be recognized in one’s socio-verbal dignity (honor, good name), and neglects the duty to respect that which makes a person’s social life possible. The use of language is a moral and social act. In this article the different verbal injuries are analyzed consecutively (insult, detraction, talebearing, derision, and cursing) and the ideas supporting Thomas’s thought on the subject are discussed.