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# Angels & Demons
- URL: https://www.tnwt.blog/angels-demons/
- Published: 2026-04-27T14:16:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-10T04:35:28.000Z
- Author: Mateusz Stępień
- Tags: News

In this text, we will explore what angels and demons “desire,” not only in a religious sense, but also from a philosophical and psychological perspective. We will see that the difference between them cannot be reduced to a simple division between good and evil. Rather, it is a story about two ways of relating to reality: one that seeks unity, meaning, and connection, and another that strives for autonomy, control, and isolation.

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En este texto, examinaremos qué “desean” los ángeles y los demonios, no solo en un sentido religioso, sino también filosófico y psicológico. Veremos que la diferencia entre ellos no se reduce a una simple división entre el bien y el mal. Más bien, es una historia sobre dos formas de relacionarse con la realidad: una que busca la unidad, el sentido y la conexión, y otra que aspira a la autonomía, el control y el aislamiento.

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W tym tekście przyjrzymy się temu, czego „pragną” anioły i demony, nie tylko w sensie religijnym, ale także filozoficznym i psychologicznym. Zobaczymy, że różnica między nimi nie sprowadza się do prostego podziału na dobro i zło. Jest raczej opowieścią o dwóch sposobach odnoszenia się do rzeczywistości: jednym, który szuka jedności, sensu i relacji, oraz drugim, który dąży do autonomii, kontroli i izolacji.

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## 1\. Do angels and demons even desire at all?

In classical theology (e.g., in the work of Thomas Aquinas):

- angels and demons do not have bodies, so they do not possess biological desires (hunger, sex, survival),
- their “desire” is an act of will and understanding.

This means:

- they perceive things more directly than humans,
- their choices are more final and enduring.

→ That is why it is said that:

- an angel “once chose good” and remains in it,
- a demon “once chose rejection” and remains in it.

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## 2\. What do angels desire?

### a) Union with the absolute

Angels “desire” what theology calls the beatific vision, the full knowledge of God.

This is not ordinary knowledge:

- it is a state of complete fulfillment,
- nothing is lacking anymore.

→ Their desire is not tension, but fullness.

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### b) Order and harmony

Angels are often described as guardians of order:

- cosmic,
- moral,
- spiritual.

Their “activity” consists in:

- supporting good,
- inspiring,
- protecting.

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### c) The good of others

In many traditions, an angel:

- is not focused on itself,
- acts “toward others.”

→ One could say their desire is pure giving, without ego.

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## 3\. What do demons desire?

Here it becomes subtler, because demons often have not stopped desiring good, they desire it in a distorted way.

### a) Absolute autonomy

A key theme (e.g., in Augustine of Hippo):

- the demon wants to be like God, but without God.

That means:

- it does not want dependence,
- it does not want relationship,
- it wants to be its own source.

→ This desire is impossible to fulfill, and therefore produces frustration.

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### b) Domination instead of unity

Instead of „being together”:

- the demon wants to rule,
- to subordinate others to its will.

This is the difference:

- angel → relationship,
- demon → control.

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### c) Destruction as a substitute for meaning

Since it cannot achieve fulfillment:

- it tries to “replace” it through:
  - chaos,
  - negation,
  - destruction of good.

→ This is not pure “love of evil,” but rather:

- evil as the effect of a distorted desire for good.

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## 4\. The key difference: relationship vs. isolation

This can be expressed very simply:

| Angels       | Demons     |
| ------------ | ---------- |
| unity        | separation |
| gift         | possession |
| humility     | pride      |
| meaning      | emptiness  |
| relationship | control    |

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## 5\. A psychological interpretation

If we treat this as a metaphor for the human being:

### „The angel within us” desires:

- meaning,
- love,
- transcendence of the ego,
- creation.

### „The demon within us” desires:

- immediate gratification,
- control,
- being “above” others,
- avoiding pain at all costs.

→ And here lies the paradox:  
Both of these “voices” often want the same thing (for example, happiness), but:

- one leads through relationship and growth,
- the other through shortcuts and domination.

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## 6\. The deepest interpretation

One can look even deeper:

- angel = desire that agrees with reality,
- demon = desire that wants to bend reality to itself.

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## 7\. Two concluding sentences

→ Angels desire to be part of a greater meaning,  
→ Demons desire to be that meaning for themselves.

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💡

“In the end, there are only two kinds of people: those who say ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’” — C. S. Lewis