Catholic Online Forum

I answer that, A thing may be called boring in two ways: in itself (per se) or accidentally (per accidens) on account of some accompanying factor. Thomas, considered in himself, is not boring. A man is only called boring who tries one’s patience excessively and to no great purpose. However, the works of Thomas are ordered towards producing knowledge and wisdom in the reader concerning the greatest realities, namely God and the things of God. As the Philosopher observes in the De Animalibus XI, the least knowledge of the highest realities produces the greatest joy. Whatever produces joy cannot fail to excite.

However, St. Thomas may be called boring accidentally with regard to the difficulty some of his readers experience. As the Philosopher observes in Physics I, we “start from the things which are more knowable to us and proceed towards those which are clearer and more knowable by nature.” Whatever is more knowable to us is bound up with the senses and is therefore more easily known and regarded as interesting and exciting. For example, we observe that children, whose capacity for speculation is less developed, learn more easily through stories than through syllogisms. In rising from the level of the senses to the level of intelligible truths, the mind experiences fatigue. This can induce boredom in the wisest of men but especially in those not habituated to abstract speculation. Thus, Thomas may be called boring but only accidentally with respect to the effect experienced by some of his readers.

As to Objection 3, I reply that corectness is boring only to the fool. For, as Solomon says, Fools despise wisdom" (Prov. 1,7)