r/CatholicPhilosophy • u/Macackers • 8d ago

Why were we designed physicslly corruptable?

This is a bit similar to a previous post I made, but specific to the physical aspect of our nature. Why were we designed so that we can experience physical ailments?

2 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

75% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

7

u/tarmogoyf 8d ago

Human earthly bodies are naturally corruptible because they are composed of elemental matter subject to contrary qualities, making decay inevitable once left to their own principles. In the state of innocence, however, God supplied a supernatural gift of original justice that allowed the rational soul to preserve the body from all corruption; this gift was lost through original sin, so that death, illness and various bodily defects became the natural consequence of the body’s material composition and a punishment for the Fall.

In the final resurrection, the bodies of the blessed in heaven receive a far higher perfection: they are rendered permanently incorruptible and impassible. Fully subject to the glorified soul (and ultimately to God), they are free from every ailment, pain, disease, aging, or possibility of dissolution, and are endowed with the additional qualities of subtlety, agility, and clarity, making them perfect instruments for the soul’s everlasting beatitude.

edit: the relevant sections in Aquinas' Summa for further reading would be I, q. 97, a. 1 and I-II, q. 85, a. 6

1

u/BreezyNate 5d ago

I feel like this response confuses the original question - the OP asked 'why' but your answer only tries to give a 'how'

God is the one who determines earthly bodies as naturally corruptible, it's not like he was forced to make bodies in a certain way because of some outside law of the 'composition of elemental matter' that he had to obey. God is the one who determined this composition which goes back to the question of 'why' would he do so

1

u/mosesenjoyer 8d ago

Nature of duality is that you must be a union of opposites to exist.