The Intricate Connection Between Sin and Desire

At the heart of much philosophical and theological inquiry lies a profound question: What drives us to act against our better judgment, against what we know to be good? The answer often circles back to the intricate connection between sin and desire. Far from being mere impulses, desires are the engines of our being, capable of propelling us towards virtue or, when misdirected, towards transgression. This article will explore how sin frequently emerges from the complex interplay of our inherent desires and the choices of our will, drawing insights from the rich tapestry of thought found within the Great Books of the Western World.

Desire: The Primal Force

To understand the connection between sin and desire, we must first grasp the nature of desire itself. Philosophers from Plato to contemporary thinkers have grappled with this fundamental aspect of human experience. Is desire inherently good, a natural inclination towards what we perceive as beneficial? Or is it a dangerous, unruly force that must be tamed?

Desire, in its broadest sense, is an orientation towards an object, a longing for something perceived as missing or as a source of fulfillment. It is the yearning for knowledge, for love, for pleasure, for power, or for peace. Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, speaks of all human action being directed towards some perceived good, however misguided that perception might be. This suggests that desire, at its root, is not malevolent but rather a drive towards what we believe will complete us.

The Role of the Will

Yet, the path from desire to fulfillment is fraught with peril. This is where the will enters the equation. The will is our faculty of choice, the capacity to deliberate and direct our actions. It is the pilot of the ship of our desires. As thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas, whose works are cornerstones of the Great Books, meticulously explored, our will can either align our desires with true, ultimate goods or allow them to be captivated by fleeting, lesser ones.

Sin as Misdirected Desire: A Philosophical Lineage

The concept of sin in Western thought often pivots on this notion of misdirected desire. It's not merely the presence of desire that leads to sin, but rather the improper ordering or pursuit of it.

  • Plato's Charioteer: In Plato's Phaedrus, the soul is likened to a charioteer (reason) guiding two winged horses: one noble (spirit/honor) and one unruly (appetite/desire). Sin, or moral failure, occurs when the charioteer loses control, allowing the unruly horse of base desires to dictate the direction, pulling the soul away from the pursuit of truth and beauty.
  • Augustine's Disordered Love: For Augustine, particularly in his Confessions, sin is fundamentally a form of disordered love. It's not the love itself that is wrong, but the object to which it is directed, or the intensity with which a lesser good is loved over a greater one. When the will turns away from the immutable good (God) towards mutable, worldly goods as ultimate ends, that is the essence of sin. It is a choice to prioritize the fleeting over the eternal, driven by a desire for something other than the highest good.
  • Aquinas and the Apparent Good: Thomas Aquinas, building on Aristotle and Augustine, viewed sin as a voluntary act that deviates from right reason and divine law. It stems from a defective choice of the will, which is influenced by a desire for an apparent good rather than a true good. We desire what we perceive as good, but our perception can be flawed, leading us to choose something that ultimately harms us or others.

Generated Image

The Mechanics of Misdirection

How does desire become misdirected? It often involves a failure of reason and will.

  1. Ignorance: We may genuinely not know what the true good is, or how to achieve it.
  2. Weakness of Will (Akrasia): We know what is good, but our will is too weak to resist the pull of immediate, lesser desires (e.g., desiring unhealthy food despite knowing its consequences).
  3. Malice: A perverse turning away from good for its own sake, though this is considered rare and extreme.

The Enduring Connection

The connection between sin and desire is not merely a historical philosophical concept; it remains profoundly relevant. Our contemporary struggles with addiction, consumerism, and ethical dilemmas often reflect this ancient problem of misdirected desire. The constant barrage of stimuli in modern life can amplify our desires, making it harder for our will to discern true goods from seductive counterfeits.

Understanding this connection is crucial for self-awareness and moral development. It encourages us to examine the objects of our desires, to cultivate a discerning will, and to strive for an ordering of our loves that leads to genuine flourishing rather than self-destruction. The wisdom gleaned from the Great Books of the Western World continues to offer profound guidance in navigating this eternal human challenge.

YouTube Video Suggestions:

Video by: The School of Life

💡 Want different videos? Search YouTube for: ""Augustine Confessions desire sin will""

Video by: The School of Life

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

Share this post