History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 107 - Practice Makes Perfect - Christian Asceticism
24 snips
Dec 16, 2012 AI Snips
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Episode notes
Marshmallow Test Framing
- Peter Adamson opens with the 1972 Marshmallow Test as a vivid example of self-control under temptation.
- He notes researchers found early self-restraint predicts later life success, framing akrasia as philosophically puzzling.
Akrasia Through Ancient Lenses
- Ancient theories of akrasia differ: Socrates/Stoics deny it, Aristotle allows a weaker form, and Plato posits soul-parts that conflict.
- These models shape how later Christian ascetics understood and tried to overcome desire.
Asceticism As Practiced Virtue
- Fourth-century Christian ascetics reframed virtue as a disciplined struggle against desire rather than mere absence of vice.
- They aimed to imitate a perfected, embodied Christ by pushing self-control to extreme limits.