Desire's Shadow: The Ancient Roots of Sin

At the heart of human experience lies desire, a potent force that propels us towards action, creation, and connection. Yet, throughout the grand tapestry of Western thought, this very force has been identified as the fundamental cause of sin. From the philosophical dialogues of ancient Greece to the theological treatises of medieval scholars, a consistent thread emerges: sin is not merely an act, but the culmination of a disordered or unchecked desire that leads the Will astray from reason, virtue, or divine law. This article explores how some of the most profound minds in the Great Books of the Western World grappled with this intricate relationship, revealing desire as a double-edged sword capable of both elevating and corrupting the human spirit.

The Nature of Desire: A Double-Edged Blade

To understand desire as the cause of sin, we must first distinguish its inherent nature. Desire, in its purest form, is simply an appetite or inclination towards something perceived as good. It is the drive for sustenance, knowledge, love, and purpose. Without desire, human beings would be inert. However, the philosophers and theologians of the Western canon recognized that desire is also susceptible to disorder, becoming a powerful force for transgression when unchecked by reason or moral discernment.

Defining Desire and Sin

  • Desire: A fundamental human inclination, appetite, or longing for something perceived as good or pleasurable. It can be rational or irrational, natural or acquired.
  • Sin: A transgression against divine law or moral principles; an act, thought, or omission that deviates from what is right, virtuous, or God-ordained. Often understood as a voluntary turning away from goodness.

Classical Foundations: Plato and Aristotle on Ordered Desires

The notion of desire's potential for corruption finds early and profound expression in classical Greek philosophy.

Plato's Charioteer: Reason Guiding Appetite

In Plato's Phaedrus, the soul is famously depicted as a charioteer (reason) guiding two winged horses: one noble and spirited (honor, courage), the other unruly and dark (appetite, desire for pleasure). Sin, or rather, immoral action and a disordered life, occurs when the charioteer loses control of the dark horse. The appetitive part of the soul, driven by raw desire, overpowers reason, leading the individual away from true knowledge and virtue. For Plato, the cause of wrongdoing is fundamentally a lack of harmony within the soul, where lower desires are not adequately governed by higher reason and spirit.

Aristotle's Golden Mean: Virtue in Balance

Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, offers a more nuanced view, emphasizing the role of practical reason in moderating desires. He argues that virtues exist as a "golden mean" between two extremes of excess and deficiency, often related to desires. For instance:

Virtue Excess (Disordered Desire) Deficiency (Lack of Desire)
Courage Rashness Cowardice
Temperance Gluttony/Licentiousness Insensibility
Generosity Prodigality Stinginess

Here, sin (or vice) arises not from desire itself, but from the misdirection or imbalance of desire. The cause is a failure of practical wisdom to guide our natural appetites towards their appropriate measure and object. The Will, informed by reason, is meant to choose the virtuous path, but strong, unmoderated desires can sway it towards vice.

Theological Perspectives: Augustine and Aquinas on the Will and Concupiscence

Moving into the Christian tradition, the relationship between desire and sin becomes even more central, particularly with the concept of original sin and the fallen human Will.

Augustine of Hippo: The Disordered Will and Concupiscence

Saint Augustine, especially in his Confessions and City of God, provides a cornerstone for understanding desire as the cause of sin. For Augustine, the Fall introduced a fundamental disorder into human nature, manifesting as "concupiscence"—a profound inclination towards lower, temporal goods over the eternal good of God. This is not just sexual lust, but any disordered desire that leads the Will to turn away from God.

Augustine argued that the Will itself, though created free, became enslaved to these disordered desires after the Fall. When we choose to indulge a desire that we know is contrary to God's law or our higher good, it is the Will consenting to the pull of concupiscence. The sin is not the desire itself, but the act of the Will that yields to it. However, the disordered desire is the powerful internal impetus, the proximate cause that tempts the Will.

Thomas Aquinas: Voluntary Acts and the Object of Desire

Saint Thomas Aquinas, building on Aristotle and Augustine in his Summa Theologica, further refines this understanding. He distinguishes between natural appetites (which are morally neutral) and disordered desires. Aquinas posits that every sin is a voluntary act, stemming from the Will. However, the Will is moved by an object apprehended by the intellect as good. When the intellect mistakenly presents a lesser, temporal good (driven by a disordered desire) as the ultimate good, and the Will consents to it, sin occurs.

Aquinas states that the "first movement of concupiscence" (the initial stirrings of disordered desire) is not itself sin if the Will does not consent. However, it becomes sin when the Will freely chooses to pursue that object against reason or divine law. Thus, while the Will is the ultimate agent, desire serves as the powerful antecedent, the moving cause that presents the allure of the sinful act.

The Interplay of Desire, Will, and Cause

The consistent message across these foundational thinkers is that desire is not inherently evil, but its improper ordering or unchecked power serves as the primary internal cause of sin.

  • Desire as the Impetus: Desire provides the initial pull, the temptation, or the perceived "good" that draws the individual towards a particular action.
  • The Will as the Arbiter: The Will, endowed with freedom, is ultimately responsible for choosing whether to consent to or resist these desires.
  • Sin as the Outcome: Sin is the result of the Will consenting to a disordered desire, turning away from reason, virtue, or divine command.

It is a complex dance between our appetites and our capacity for rational choice. The Great Books remind us that understanding this dynamic is crucial for self-governance, moral development, and the pursuit of a truly good life. To master oneself is, in large part, to master one's desires and align them with a rightly-ordered Will.

(Image: A detailed classical painting depicting a charioteer struggling to control two horses, one light and noble, the other dark and wild, symbolizing reason attempting to govern the spirited and appetitive parts of the soul, reminiscent of Plato's allegory.)

Video by: The School of Life

💡 Want different videos? Search YouTube for: ""Augustine Confessions concupiscence free will""

Video by: The School of Life

💡 Want different videos? Search YouTube for: ""Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics virtue desire reason""

Share this post