Ordo amoris

Ordo amoris (Latin for "order of love"), also known as ordo caritatis (Latin for "order of charity"), is a concept in Catholic theology concerned with the proper ordering of Christian love.

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.^[1] In modern philosophy, ordo amoris has primarily been associated with the German philosopher Max Scheler and his work on the stratification of emotional life.

Historical background

Philosophical ladder of love

The concept of ordo amoris 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:^[2]

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 ordo amoris.
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 ordo amoris 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. Augustine's philosophy emphasised 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.

Aquinas writes in Summa Theologica^[3] as follows:

"[T]here must needs be some order in things loved out of charity, which order is in reference to the first principle of that love, which is God ... [W]e ought in preference to bestow on each one such benefits as pertain to the matter in which, speaking simply, he is most closely connected with us. And yet this may vary according to the various requirements of time, place, or matter in hand: because in certain cases one ought, for instance, to succor a stranger, in extreme necessity, rather than one's own father, if he is not in such urgent need."

Ethical theory of value

In his work Formalism in Ethics and Non-Formal Ethics of Values (1913-1916), Scheler expanded on the ordo amoris 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 ordo amoris.
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 ordo amoris involves loving higher values more than lower ones.

Scheler's ordo amoris 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.^[4]

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.^[5]

Criticism and debate

Refuting self-love as an ordered love

The notion of ordo amoris 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 ordo amoris. Matt Jenson writes that:

"Luther's complete rejection of self-love represents a radicalizing and even at points a rejection of Augustine's ordo amoris."^[6]

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 ordo amoris in an interview with Sean Hannity as a purported justification of the foreign aid policies of the second Trump administration. Vance's remarks drew praise^[7] and criticism.^[8]^[9] The controversy precipitated the publication of a letter from Pope Francis to the Bishops of the United States of America,^[10] in which the Pope stated that:

"The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception."

References

^ Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine, Book 1, Chapter 28
^ Santas, Gerasimos (1979). "Plato's Theory of Eros in the Symposisum: Abstract". Noûs. 13 (1): 67–75. doi:10.2307/2214796. ISSN 0029-4624.
^ See Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, q. 26, a. 1 and I, q. 31, a. 3.
^ Novello, Samantha (2015). "Max Scheler's Ordo Amoris in Albert Camus's Philosophical Work". Thaumàzein | Rivista di Filosofia. 3: 199–216. doi:10.13136/thau.v3i0.49. ISSN 2284-2918.
^ Zbudilová, Helena (2024-05-18). "Formation of the Heart by the Heart - Scheler's Conception of the Ordo Amoris as a Challenge (not only) for Contemporary Leisure Pedagogy". Caritas et veritas. 13 (2): 63–76. doi:10.32725/cetv.2023.022.
^ Jenson, Matt (2006-01-01). The Gravity of Sin: Augustine, Luther and Barth on 'homo Incurvatus in Se'. A&C Black. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-567-03138-9.
^ Clements, Dr Richard (2025-02-11). "First, Love Locally: JD Vance and 'Ordo Amoris'". Word on Fire. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
^ Elie, Paul (11 February 2025). "J. D. Vance Brawls with the Bishops Over the Trump-Musk Agenda". The New Yorker. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
^ Akey, Jacob (2025-01-31). "JD Vance States the Obvious About Ordo Amoris". First Things. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
^ Holy Father Francis (10 February 2025). "Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States of America". La Santa Sede: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 13 February 2025.

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

Zbudilová, Helena (2024-05-18). "Formation of the Heart by the Heart - Scheler's Conception of the Ordo Amoris as a Challenge (not only) for Contemporary Leisure Pedagogy". Caritas et veritas. 13 (2): 63–76. doi:10.32725/cetv.2023.022.
Santas, Gerasimos (1979). "Plato's Theory of Eros in the Symposisum". Noûs. 13 (1): 67–75. doi:10.2307/2214796. ISSN 0029-4624.

[1] Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine, Book 1, Chapter 28

[2] Santas, Gerasimos (1979). "Plato's Theory of Eros in the Symposisum: Abstract". Noûs. 13 (1): 67–75. doi:10.2307/2214796. ISSN 0029-4624.

[3] See Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, q. 26, a. 1 and I, q. 31, a. 3.

[4] Novello, Samantha (2015). "Max Scheler's Ordo Amoris in Albert Camus's Philosophical Work". Thaumàzein | Rivista di Filosofia. 3: 199–216. doi:10.13136/thau.v3i0.49. ISSN 2284-2918.

[5] Zbudilová, Helena (2024-05-18). "Formation of the Heart by the Heart - Scheler's Conception of the Ordo Amoris as a Challenge (not only) for Contemporary Leisure Pedagogy". Caritas et veritas. 13 (2): 63–76. doi:10.32725/cetv.2023.022.

[6] Jenson, Matt (2006-01-01). The Gravity of Sin: Augustine, Luther and Barth on 'homo Incurvatus in Se'. A&C Black. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-567-03138-9.

[7] Clements, Dr Richard (2025-02-11). "First, Love Locally: JD Vance and 'Ordo Amoris'". Word on Fire. Retrieved 2025-02-14.

[8] Elie, Paul (11 February 2025). "J. D. Vance Brawls with the Bishops Over the Trump-Musk Agenda". The New Yorker. Retrieved 13 February 2025.

[9] Akey, Jacob (2025-01-31). "JD Vance States the Obvious About Ordo Amoris". First Things. Retrieved 2025-02-14.

[10] Holy Father Francis (10 February 2025). "Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States of America". La Santa Sede: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 13 February 2025.

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