The Enduring Problem of Sin and Will: A Philosophical Inquiry

The human condition is a tapestry woven with threads of choice and consequence, aspiration and failure. At its very heart lies one of philosophy's most profound and persistent dilemmas: The Problem of Sin and Will. How do we, beings endowed with the capacity for deliberate action, frequently choose paths that lead to suffering, transgression, or a deviation from what we intellectually acknowledge as good? This isn't merely a theological question; it is a fundamental inquiry into the nature of human agency, the origins of moral failure, and the very architecture of our inner lives. From the ancient Greeks grappling with akrasia to modern existentialists asserting radical freedom, philosophers have wrestled with the paradox of a will seemingly capable of both profound virtue and egregious vice. This pillar page will delve into this intricate interplay, tracing its contours through the rich legacy of thought preserved in the Great Books of the Western World.

The Will: Our Double-Edged Sword of Agency

At the core of our discussion lies the concept of the will – that mysterious faculty within us responsible for decision, intention, and action. It is the engine of our agency, the power to choose, to assent, or to refuse. Yet, this very capacity, which elevates us beyond mere instinct, is also the locus of our greatest moral struggles.

Defining the Will: A Philosophical Journey

Philosophers have offered varied perspectives on the will:

  • Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, emphasizes voluntary action, distinguishing it from involuntary acts compelled by force or ignorance. For Aristotle, our choices, shaped by habit, build our character. The will, therefore, is intimately tied to the development of virtues and vices.
  • St. Augustine of Hippo, whose Confessions offers an unparalleled introspection into the soul's struggles, famously grappled with the divided will. He experienced the excruciating tension between knowing the good and yet being unable to choose it, lamenting, "I was enthralled by the desire to do it, but I was not enthralled by the desire to do it completely." His insights highlight the internal conflict that defines the problem.
  • Immanuel Kant, in his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, places the good will at the absolute center of morality. For Kant, the only thing unqualifiedly good is a good will – one that acts from duty, out of respect for the moral law, not merely in conformity with it. Yet, even for Kant, understanding why the will often fails to align with duty remains a critical challenge.

The will, then, is not a simple switch. It is a complex interplay of reason, desire, and the capacity for self-determination, often pulled in conflicting directions.

Sin: A Disorder of the Will, A Deviation from Good

If the will is our capacity for choice, then sin represents a particular kind of choice – one that deviates from the moral order, from the good. But what exactly constitutes sin from a philosophical standpoint, beyond its theological connotations?

Sin as Privation and Misdirection

Philosophically, sin can be understood in several ways:

  • A Privation of the Good: Following St. Thomas Aquinas, sin is often described not as a positive entity, but as a privation – a lack of due perfection. Just as blindness is the absence of sight, sin is the absence of the moral rectitude that should be present in a rational will. It's a turning away from the highest good towards a lesser, disordered good.
  • An Act of Ignorance or Weakness: Plato, in dialogues like the Protagoras, famously argued that no one knowingly does evil. All wrongdoing, for Plato, stems from ignorance of the true good. If we truly understood what was good for us, our will would naturally pursue it. This perspective places the problem not in a malicious will, but in an uninformed one.
  • A Transgression of Moral Law: For thinkers like Kant, sin (or moral wrongdoing) is a transgression against the moral law, a failure to act according to principles that could be universalized. It's an act where our will prioritizes personal inclination over universalizable duty.

The concept of sin, therefore, compels us to consider the nature of Good and Evil themselves. Is evil merely the absence of good, or does it possess a positive, destructive force? And how does our will navigate this moral landscape?

The Interplay: When Will Leads to Sin

Herein lies the profound problem: if the will is inherently directed towards what it perceives as good, why do we so often choose what is demonstrably harmful or wrong?

The Paradox of Choosing Evil

  • Augustine's Struggle: As mentioned, Augustine's personal battle with concupiscence (disordered desire) perfectly illustrates this paradox. He found himself "commanding the will to will," a seemingly absurd internal conflict where one part of him desired righteousness, but another, weaker part, clung to transgression. This highlights that the will is not monolithic but often fractured.
  • The Seduction of Apparent Good: Often, what we call sin is not a direct choice of evil as evil, but rather a choice of a lesser good, or an apparent good, over a greater or true good. A momentary pleasure might be chosen over long-term well-being, or selfish gain over communal harmony. The will, in these instances, is misdirected by passion, ignorance, or flawed reasoning.
  • The Weight of Habit: Aristotle's emphasis on habit is crucial here. Repeated choices, whether virtuous or vicious, shape our character and, consequently, the inclinations of our will. A will habituated to vice finds it increasingly difficult to choose virtue, even when reason dictates otherwise.

(Image: A detailed classical drawing depicting a figure with two smaller figures whispering into each ear, one angelic and one demonic, symbolizing the internal struggle of the will and the conflicting impulses towards good and evil.)

Good and Evil: The Moral Compass of the Will

Understanding the problem of sin and will necessitates an exploration of the concepts of Good and Evil themselves. These are not mere subjective preferences but often presented as objective realities or universal moral principles that guide or ought to guide the will.

Aspect of Good/Evil Philosophical Perspective Implications for Will
Objective Good Plato's Form of the Good, Aquinas's Natural Law, Kant's Categorical Imperative The will is meant to align with universal, unchanging principles. Deviation is a failure to apprehend or act upon this truth.
Subjective Good Hedonism (Epicurus), Utilitarianism (Mill) The will seeks what brings pleasure or utility to the individual or greatest number. Sin is a miscalculation or selfish pursuit.
Radical Evil Kant (in later works), Hannah Arendt The will can choose evil for evil's sake, or through thoughtlessness in the face of immense suffering. A profound moral failure.
Privation of Good Augustine, Aquinas Evil is not a substance but an absence of due perfection. The will fails to choose the good it ought to pursue.

The will's encounter with good and evil is a perpetual navigation. It is tasked with discerning the true good from the apparent, the universal from the particular, and then having the fortitude to act accordingly.

Philosophical Responses: Directing the Will Towards the Good

Given the persistent nature of the problem, philosophers have proposed various strategies for understanding and overcoming sin, and for properly directing the will.

  • Virtue Ethics (Aristotle): The path to good lies in cultivating virtuous habits. By repeatedly choosing the mean between extremes, the will becomes habituated to virtue, making good choices more natural and less of a struggle. It's a training of the will through practice.
  • Deontology (Kant): The will must be guided by reason and duty. To overcome the inclination towards sin, one must act according to universalizable moral laws, letting duty, not desire, be the primary motivator. The will's freedom is found in its autonomy to legislate for itself universally.
  • Existentialism (Sartre, though post-Great Books, builds on these themes): While not explicitly discussing "sin" in a traditional sense, existentialism places immense emphasis on radical freedom and responsibility of the will. We are condemned to be free, and every choice defines us. The "problem" becomes one of authenticity and taking full responsibility for our choices, rather than blaming external factors.
  • Christian Philosophy (Augustine, Aquinas): While acknowledging the fallen nature of the will due to original sin, divine grace is seen as essential for healing and strengthening the will to choose the good. Reason and faith work together to guide the will.

Conclusion: An Enduring Human Dilemma

The Problem of Sin and Will remains one of the most compelling and confounding aspects of the human experience. It forces us to confront the depths of our own freedom, the potential for both nobility and depravity that resides within each of us. From the ancient insights of Plato and Aristotle to the profound struggles of Augustine and the rigorous ethics of Kant, the Great Books of the Western World provide an indispensable framework for understanding this timeless dilemma.

The journey to understand and master our will, to align it with the true good, is perhaps the most significant philosophical and personal undertaking. It is a testament to our continuous struggle to become what we ought to be, to bridge the gap between our ideals and our actions.

Video by: The School of Life

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Video by: The School of Life

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