Chastity

The word chastity derives from the chastening orrebuking of concupiscence. By such chastening, chastising orcurbing, passion is held in control, and is kept in alignment with right reason. Chastity, therefore, is a virtue inasmuch as it steadily tends to keep human conduct under the control of reason.

And chastity is a special virtue for it concerns a special aspect of good, that is, the controlling, the keeping reasonable, of the tendencies of sex.

Chastity is not the same as the virtue of abstinence. For chastity is concerned with the control of sex pleasures,whereas abstinence is directly concerned with the control of the pleasures of the palate.

The words purity and chastity are sometimes usedinterchangeably, but they are not perfect synonyms. Chastity directly regards the sexual union. Purity refers to all that is in any way associated with this union. Thus aperson is unchaste if he indulges in unlawful coition. Buta person is impure by reason of thoughts, imaginings,words, desires, and actions that have an unlawful sexual reference. Unchastity involves impurity, but impurity can exist withoutunchastity.