Magdalena Płotka: Delectatur autem sensus in obiecto: Bonaventure on delight

The purpose of the paper is to reconstruct Bonaventure’s description of human experience of earthly delight. The paper argues argue that Bonaventure developed a consistent concep­tion of delight, which he derived from his Franciscan spirituality, a conception however, as the paper will show, that is not static but dynamic.

First, the terminology which is used by Bonaventure to refer to delight and enjoyment is presented. As it is argued, the two most commonly used terms are delectatio and gaudium. Next, the Bonaventurian account of sensual delight as described in the Itinerarium mentis in Deum is examined. Bonaventure puts delight right at the outset of the cognitive experience, locating it within the structure of sense perception. Next, it is argued that paradoxically, a contempt for the world (‘way of martyrdom’) is a condition for perfect earthly delight. The paper ends with a conclusion that Bonaventure developed a dynamic conception of delight. Instead of analysing its internal structure as an emotion or reference to an object (good), he described delight as it evolves, undergoing a dynamic process of perfection.

Keywords: delight – pleasure – St. Bonaventure – Franciscan spirituality