Prof. Candace Vogler discusses vice, sin, human acts, salvation, obligation, original sin, vices, and human fulfillment. She explores the concepts of sin, virtue, and the impact of original sin on morality. She also discusses the nature of obligation, grace, and the influence of Christianity in understanding human nature and vices. Additionally, she explores the concept of aligning oneself with the best order and the motivations behind the Virgin birth theory.
Understanding habits is important in determining whether our actions align with what is considered good or harmful.
The concept of original sin raises questions about the nature of obligation, moral responsibility, and the need for grace and redemption.
Deep dives
Understanding Habits and Coordinated Inferential and Motivational Patterns
Habits are seen as coordinated patterns of motivation and inference that lead to specific actions. These habits are defined by their characteristic set of acts, which can vary in nature. Some habits, known as virtues, are perfective of human nature. They lead to acts that fulfill our potential and contribute to our well-being. On the other hand, there are habits that impede our efforts to lead good and happy lives, known as vices. Both virtues and vices are acquired voluntarily and can be difficult to change. Understanding habits is important in examining the role they play in determining whether our actions align with what is considered good or harmful.
The Concept of Original Sin
Original sin is viewed as the privation of original justice, the state of humans as they should naturally be, in the Catholic theological framework. It is the absence of the proper coordination of human powers, specifically reason, will, and the lower appetites. While original sin is typically associated with the guilt inherited from Adam and Eve's disobedience in Christian theology, it is also understood as an inclination or tendency to resist God and deviate from what is morally good. This inclination, stemming from the loss of original justice, affects humans from birth and necessitates redemption through Christ's salvific grace.
Debating Original Sin and Human Nature
The concept of original sin has sparked theological debates, especially regarding the question of moral responsibility for actions committed before any personal sins are committed. The idea of incurring guilt before committing actual sins has been scrutinized, questioning whether one can be responsible for sin without having the ability to choose otherwise. Additionally, discussions have revolved around the interconnectedness of natural and supernatural ends. Some theologians propose that fulfillment of the supernatural end, such as participating in God's glory, requires the propping up of natural ends through divine assistance. These theological debates delved into issues of moral responsibility, the nature of human nature, and the order of ends.
Philosophical and Practical Considerations of Original Sin
The concept of original sin engages both philosophical and practical aspects. From a philosophical perspective, original sin raises questions about the nature of obligation and moral responsibility. Traditional accounts of moral responsibility may not directly apply to God's relationship with human beings and the gratuitousness of grace. Practical considerations highlight the human condition and our inclination to resistance to good. The inclination away from God highlights the need for grace and redemption. While it can be challenging to grapple with the implications, understanding original sin can help individuals align their actions and intentions with the order that leads to their own best realization.
This lecture was given on June 2, 2023, at the 12th Annual Aquinas Philosophy Workshop at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY
For more information on upcoming events, please visit our website at www.thomisticinstitute.org.
About the speaker:
Candace Vogler is the David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor of Philosophy and Professor in the College at the University of Chicago, and Principal Investigator on "Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life," a project funded by the John Templeton Foundation. She has authored two books, John Stuart Mill's Deliberative Landscape: An Essay in Moral Psychology (Routledge, 2001) and Reasonably Vicious (Harvard University Press, 2002), and essays in ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy and literature, cinema, psychoanalysis, gender studies, sexuality studies, and other areas. Her research interests are in practical philosophy (particularly the strand of work in moral philosophy indebted to Elizabeth Anscombe), practical reason, Kant's ethics, Marx, and neo-Aristotelian naturalism.
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