The Labyrinth of Our Own Making: Unraveling the Cause of Sin and Moral Error

From the Socratic injunction that "no one errs willingly" to the Augustinian lament over the "mystery of iniquity," humanity has grappled with the perplexing question of why we stray from the path of righteousness. What causes us to commit sin, to make moral errors, even when we often know better? This isn't merely an academic exercise; it's an inquiry into the very fabric of our being, our choices, and our capacity for both good and ill. This article will explore the multifaceted cause of moral error, drawing insights from the foundational texts that have shaped Western thought, highlighting the critical roles of Will, ignorance, passion, and Duty.

Defining the Terrain: What is Sin and Moral Error?

Before we can pinpoint its cause, we must understand what we mean by sin and moral error. Broadly, these terms refer to a departure from a perceived or objective good, a transgression against moral law, reason, or a higher standard. It is not merely a mistake in calculation or a factual inaccuracy, but a failure in the realm of ought, a deviation from what is right or virtuous. The Great Books often frame it as a turning away from true happiness or the ultimate good.

The Primacy of the Will: The Seat of Our Agency

Many philosophical traditions, particularly those influenced by Augustinian thought, place the Will at the very heart of the cause of sin. It is argued that our Will, created good and free, possesses the capacity to choose. Sin is not an external force compelling us, but an internal act of choosing a lesser good over a greater one, a turning away from the highest good towards something inferior.

  • A Perversion of Choice: The Will does not lack power, but misuses it. It deliberately chooses to embrace self-love over divine love, or immediate gratification over long-term virtue. This is not a forced action, but a freely chosen perversion of our own agency.
  • The Non-Esse of Evil: For some, evil is not a substance but a privation, a lack of good. The Will, in choosing sin, chooses nothingness or a diminished good, rather than actively creating evil. The cause is thus an absence, a failure of the Will to adhere to its proper ordering.

The Role of Ignorance and Imperfection

While the Will is central, we cannot discount the role of ignorance. Socrates famously posited that "no one errs willingly," suggesting that all evil is a result of ignorance. If we truly knew what was good, we would always choose it.

  • Mistaking the Lesser Good: Often, we err because we mistake a lesser good for a greater one. We are deceived by appearances or fail to grasp the true implications of our actions. The cause here is a deficiency in knowledge or understanding, leading us to pursue what seems good but ultimately isn't.
  • Limited Human Understanding: Our human intellect is finite and imperfect. We cannot always fully comprehend the complex web of consequences, nor can we always discern the ultimate good in every situation. This inherent limitation can contribute to moral error, even when our intentions are relatively pure.

The Tyranny of Passion and Appetite

Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, eloquently discusses the struggle between reason and desire. Our passions, appetites, and emotions, while natural, can often usurp the throne of reason, leading us astray.

  • Overpowering Desires: When our desires for pleasure, wealth, or power become untamed, they can cloud our judgment and compel the Will towards actions that our rational faculty knows to be wrong. The cause here is the failure of reason to govern our lower faculties.
  • Lack of Self-Control: Virtue, according to Aristotle, involves developing habits of self-control. A lack of this virtue makes us vulnerable to the immediate pull of passion, leading to moral lapses even when we intellectually understand our Duty.

The Neglect of Duty: A Failure to Uphold Obligation

For philosophers like Kant, moral error is fundamentally a failure to act in accordance with the moral law. It’s not just about what we do, but what we fail to do when obligated. The concept of Duty becomes paramount.

  • Disregarding the Moral Law: To fail in our Duty, to disregard the categorical imperative, is a profound moral lapse. The cause here is a failure to uphold our rational obligations, a turning away from what we ought to do, regardless of personal inclination or outcome.
  • Passive Indifference: Sometimes, sin or moral error isn't an active transgression but a passive indifference to our responsibilities. A failure to act when action is required, a deliberate turning away from our Duty to others or to a higher principle, can be just as culpable.

The Multifaceted Roots of Our Missteps

When we delve into the Great Books, we find that the cause of sin and moral error is rarely monolithic. Instead, it emerges from a complex interplay of factors:

  • The Perversion of the Will: As articulated by thinkers like Augustine, the Will itself, created good, can choose to turn away from the highest good towards lesser, created goods. This is not a lack of power, but a misuse of it.
  • Ignorance and Misjudgment: From Plato's allegory of the cave to Socratic dialogues, a lack of true knowledge or a mistaken understanding of what constitutes genuine good often leads us astray. We cause harm because we genuinely believe we are pursuing something beneficial, albeit mistakenly.
  • The Tyranny of Passion and Appetite: Aristotle reminds us that our rational faculty must govern our desires. When passions usurp reason's throne, we become slaves to immediate gratification, often at the expense of our long-term good and moral integrity.
  • The Neglect of Duty: For philosophers like Kant, moral error is fundamentally a failure to act in accordance with the moral law, a disregard for our rational Duty. It's not just about what we do, but what we fail to do when obligated.
  • The Influence of Habit and Environment: While not always the primary cause, ingrained habits (both good and bad) and the social environment undeniably shape our choices and can make moral error more likely or easier to fall into.

Conclusion: The Enduring Human Struggle

Ultimately, the inquiry into the cause of sin and moral error reveals a profound truth about the human condition: our freedom is both our greatest gift and our greatest vulnerability. The power to choose, the capacity for reason, and the awareness of Duty are what elevate us, yet it is precisely through the misuse or neglect of these very faculties that we stumble. The Great Books offer no simple answers, but they illuminate the complex interplay of Will, ignorance, passion, and Duty that conspire to lead us into the labyrinth of our own moral failings. Understanding these roots is the first step towards cultivating virtue and striving for a more truly human existence.

(Image: A classical oil painting depicting a lone figure at a crossroads, one path leading towards a sunlit, ordered city, the other winding into a dark, shadowed forest. The figure, dressed in simple robes, looks conflicted, perhaps holding a book or scroll, symbolizing knowledge or conscience. Overhead, a faint, ethereal light struggles to pierce through dark clouds, hinting at divine or higher guidance amidst human struggle.)

Video by: The School of Life

💡 Want different videos? Search YouTube for: ""Augustine on Free Will and Evil""

Video by: The School of Life

💡 Want different videos? Search YouTube for: ""Kant's Ethics Explained: Duty and the Categorical Imperative""

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