Ordo Amoris

''Ordo amoris'' (Latin for "order of love") is a concept in Catholic theology concerned with the proper ordering of Christian love. It is sometimes conflated with the related ''ordo caritatis'' (Latin for "order of charity".)

Deriving from the Augustinian works ''The City of God'' and ''On Christian Doctrine'', and expanded upon by Thomas Aquinas in ''Summa Theologica'', the concept has been interpreted as establishing an interconnected hierarchy in terms of which "special regard" is to be paid to those persons who, "by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection" with the Christian individual. In modern philosophy, ''ordo amoris'' has primarily been associated with the German philosopher Max Scheler and his work on emotional life.

Historical background

Philosophical ladder of love

The concept of was preceded by the Platonic idea of the "ladder of love" or "ascent of love" described in Plato's ''Symposium'', particularly through the character Diotima:

* Ascent in love: Diotima describes love as a journey from physical beauty to the appreciation of beauty in all forms, eventually leading to the love of beauty itself (the Form of Beauty). This ascent is a progression from lower to higher forms of love, mirroring the prioritization in Scheler's .
* Philosophical and spiritual growth: Both concepts suggest that love should lead to personal transformation, deepening one's understanding of value and reality.
* Educational and ethical implications: In both philosophies, the journey or ordering of love is not only personal but has implications for how one should live ethically, educating one's emotions and affections towards what is truly valuable.

Theological order of love

The idea of an has its origins in Christian thought, in which it was often linked to the teachings of St Augustine of Hippo, who wrote of the proper ordering of loves as key to a moral life: "a brief and true definition of virtue is 'rightly ordered love'." We order our love by practicing the four cardinal virtues: temperance, fortitude, justice, and prudence "which flow out to our neighbors who are all image bearers and themselves the objects of the love of God." Augustine's philosophy emphasized that love should be directed primarily towards God, followed by love for other humans and then for material things, according to their value in relation to the divine.

Love is, for Thomas Aquinas, "a benevolential actuality of wishing some good to some person" similar to Greek ''agape''. However the ''ordo amoris'' does not necessarily imply a competition between rival loves:

The order of charity

For Aquinas, charity is "essentially a sort of friendship, which consists of a mutual rational love founded on some
'communication of eternal happiness'" similar to Greek ''philia'': distinguished from ''amoris'' because "a friend loves (''amoris'') the possessions and other things of his friend, but he does not have friendship with these things."

Thomas Aquinas wrote:

Applying this to practical issues of the order of charity, opportunity gives responsibility:

For Aquinas, the degree of connection must be prudentially balanced against the degree of need:

Ethical theory of value

In his work ''Formalism in Ethics and Non-Formal Ethics of Values'' (1913–1916), Scheler expanded on the concept by integrating it into his theory of value. Scheler posits that:

* Values are intrinsic: They exist independently of human recognition and are ordered according to their nature.
* Love as a cognitive act: Love, for Scheler, is not just an emotion but a way of knowing; it discerns values and ranks them in an .
* Hierarchy of values: Scheler describes four levels of values – the sensible (pleasure and pain), vital (health, vigor), spiritual (beauty, truth, justice), and the holy (sacred, divine). The correct involves loving higher values more than lower ones.

Scheler's is dynamic, suggesting that personal development involves an ongoing refinement of this love-order, where one learns to appreciate higher values more fully.

Applications

Psychology and ethics

Contemporary thinkers in psychology and ethics might interpret ''ordo amoris'' in terms of how individuals should prioritise their affections to achieve psychological health or ethical integrity. Thus, the French philosopher Albert Camus was influenced in his first philosophical work on the absurd by Scheler’s book on sympathy, and especially his notion of ''ordo amoris''. Albert Camus relied on the ethics of sympathy developed by Scheler to provide the theoretical framework within which he rethinks Nietzsche’s ethical and political project of overcoming nihilism.

Religious thought

In theology, the concept continues to be relevant in discussions about the proper orientation of love towards God, others, and the self, often reflected in pastoral teachings or spiritual guidance.

Cultural theory

The idea of ''ordo amoris'' can also be applied to critique modern culture's valuation systems, examining how societies might misorder their loves towards materialism or superficiality over deeper values.

Criticism and debate

Refuting self-love as an ordered love

The notion of in theology was first challenged in the 16th century. Since the Protestant Reformation, figures such as Martin Luther have rejected the notion of self-love and thereby refuted the structure of the . Matt Jenson writes that:

Rejecting a prescriptive hierarchy

Critics might argue that Scheler's rigid value hierarchy can be overly prescriptive or fail to account for individual or cultural differences in value perception. Moreover, debates occur around the practical application of such a hierarchy in everyday life where values often compete rather than align neatly.

2025 theological controversy

Vice President of the United States JD Vance, on 30 January 2025, referenced the concept of in an interview with Sean Hannity in defending the foreign aid policies of the second Trump administration, saying "We should love our family first, then our neighbors, then love our community, then our country, and only then consider the interests of the rest of the world."

Vance's remarks drew praise and criticism. The controversy precipitated the publication of a letter from Pope Francis to the bishops of the United States of America, in which the Pope stated that:

See also

*Max Scheler
*Augustine of Hippo
* Plato's Symposium
*Ethics
*Value theory

References

Sources

*Scheler, Max. ''Formalism in Ethics and Non-Formal Ethics of Values''.
*Augustine of Hippo. ''Confessions'' and ''The City of God''.
*Plato. ''Symposium''.

External links

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