Addiction and virtue

In this book, Kent Dunnington argues that addiction is neither a disease nor a choice, but rather a habit.

Drawing from philosophical and theological perspectives, particularly the works of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, Dunnington suggests that addiction is a pursuit of moral and intellectual goods that are not easily accessible in modern life.

He distinguishes addiction from intemperance, noting that while intemperance involves sensory pleasures, addiction seeks deeper goods such as communication, self-ease, and community.

The book critiques the dominant disease and choice models of addiction, offering a more nuanced understanding through the concept of habit and its implications for character development and moral training.