Choose a topic from Part 2B:
(d) he may seek knowledge from unlawful sources, as fromdemons;
(e) he may seek creatural knowledge without referring whathe knows to God; (f) he may foolishly risk error by trying tomaster what is beyond his capacity.
1. Curiosity, in our present use of the word, is the vice whichstands opposed to studiousness. Curiosity throws aside themoderating influence of studiousness, and disposes man toinordinateness in seeking knowledge. This inordinateness appears ina variety of ways. Thus: (a) a man may seek knowledge to take pridein it; (b) he may seek to know how to sin; (c) he may seek uselessknowledge and waste effort which should be expended in learningwhat he needs to know;
2. Curiosity appears also in the order of sense-knowledge.Inordinateness here appears in an excessive love of sight-seeing;of neglecting study to gaze idly on a meaningless spectacle; oflooking needlessly on what may occasion evil thoughts; of observingthe actions of others to criticize and condemn them, and so on. If,however, one is intent upon material things in an ordinate way(that is. in a way that accords with reason) one exercisesstudiousness, not curiosity, even in the order ofsense-knowing.
"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."
St Albert the Great
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"Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.
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Thomas á Kempis
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"Obedience is the true holocaust which we sacrifice to God on the altar of our hearts."
St Philip Neri
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