Desire as the Cause of Sin and Desire

The assertion that desire acts as the fundamental cause of sin is a profound and enduring theme woven throughout the fabric of Western philosophy, particularly evident in the Great Books of the Western World. From ancient Greek wisdom to patristic theology and medieval scholasticism, thinkers have grappled with how our natural inclinations, when unchecked or misdirected by the will and reason, lead to moral transgression. This article explores the philosophical lineage of this concept, examining how various intellectual traditions understand the intricate relationship between our inner urges and our moral failings, ultimately positing desire as a primary driver of actions we deem sinful.

The Primacy of Desire in Moral Philosophy

For millennia, philosophers have observed the human condition and noted a perennial struggle: the conflict between our rational faculties and our appetitive urges. This internal battle often culminates in actions that deviate from moral good, leading to what we commonly label as sin. The core argument is not that desire in itself is inherently evil—indeed, many desires are natural and necessary for life—but rather that its misdirection, its excess, or its usurpation of the will's rational governance is the definitive cause of moral error.

Ancient Insights: Plato, Aristotle, and the Disordered Soul

The classical Greek thinkers provided foundational insights into the role of desire.

Plato's Charioteer Allegory: In his Phaedrus, Plato famously describes the soul as a charioteer (reason) guiding two winged horses: one noble and spirited (thumos, or noble ambition), and the other unruly and dark (epithumia, or bodily appetites and base desires). Sin, in this Platonic sense, arises when the charioteer loses control, allowing the dark horse of uncontrolled desire to dictate direction, pulling the soul away from the pursuit of truth and goodness. The will to reason is overcome by the pull of the passions.
Aristotle and Akrasia: Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, delves into the phenomenon of akrasia, or "incontinence." This is the state where an individual knows what is good but acts against that knowledge due to the power of desire. Here, desire is the cause of the failure to act virtuously, even when the intellect points towards the right path. The will is weak, succumbing to immediate gratification over rational long-term good.

These ancient perspectives highlight that while desire is a natural part of human experience, its uncontrolled sway over reason and will is a direct precursor to moral failing.

Patristic and Scholastic Views: Augustine and Aquinas

The Christian tradition, deeply influenced by Greek philosophy, further solidified the idea of desire as the cause of sin, particularly through the works of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Augustine: Disordered Love and Concupiscence

St. Augustine, a towering figure in the Great Books, articulated a profound understanding of sin as "disordered love." In works like Confessions and City of God, he argues that all desire is a form of love, but when we love lesser goods (material possessions, sensual pleasures, worldly power) more than the ultimate Good (God), our loves become disordered. This disordered desire, or concupiscence, is a direct consequence of original sin and actively pulls the will away from its proper orientation towards God. For Augustine, the will is inherently free but wounded, making it susceptible to the allure of perverse desire.

Aquinas: Intellect, Will, and the Object of Desire

St. Thomas Aquinas, synthesizing Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology, provides a nuanced account in his Summa Theologica. Aquinas distinguishes between:

Natural Appetites: Instinctive desires for self-preservation, reproduction, etc., which are morally neutral.
Sensory Appetites: Desires for specific pleasures or aversion to pain, which can be guided by reason.
Rational Appetite (the Will): The desire for the good as apprehended by the intellect.

For Aquinas, sin occurs when the will chooses an apparent good that contradicts the true good as discerned by reason and natural law. This often happens when sensory desire overpowers the intellect's judgment and the will's proper direction. The cause of sin is not desire itself, but the will's assent to a disordered desire or a deficient good, against the dictates of right reason.

Table: The Interplay of Desire, Will, and Sin

Philosopher/Tradition	Nature of Desire	Role of Will	Cause of Sin
Plato	Unruly horse (Epithumia), bodily appetites	Charioteer (Reason) attempts control	Charioteer loses control, appetites dictate direction
Aristotle	Powerful urges for pleasure/avoidance of pain	Weak Will (Akrasia) fails to enforce reason	Knowing the good but failing to act on it due to desire
Augustine	Disordered love (Concupiscence), loving lesser goods more	Wounded Will, prone to perverse desires	Will assents to disordered desire, turning away from God
Aquinas	Natural, Sensory, Rational Appetites; seeks perceived good	Rational Appetite, chooses based on intellect	Will assents to an apparent good that contradicts true good, often swayed by sensory desire

The Will's Struggle: A Constant Battle

The consistent thread through these philosophical giants is the understanding that desire, in its various forms, presents a continuous challenge to the human will. Our capacity for rational thought and moral choice is constantly tested by the powerful pull of our inclinations. When the will capitulates to desire without proper rational guidance, or when it deliberately chooses a perceived good over the true good, sin is the inevitable result. It is not merely the presence of desire, but the failure of the will to govern it, that constitutes the fundamental cause of moral transgression.

(Image: A classical painting depicting a personification of Will or Reason struggling against multiple allegorical figures representing various human desires and passions, perhaps in chains or being pulled in different directions.)

Conclusion: Mastering the Inner Landscape

The philosophical journey through the Great Books of the Western World consistently points to desire as a critical cause of sin. Whether viewed as unruly horses, powerful appetites, or disordered loves, our inner urges demand careful management by the will and intellect. Understanding this dynamic is not merely an academic exercise; it offers profound insights into human nature and the perpetual quest for moral excellence, reminding us that the path to virtue often begins with the mastery of our own desires.

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