Maverick Philosopher

Footnotes to Plato from the foothills of the Superstition Mountains

Category: Seven Deadly Sins

  • The Role of Concupiscence in the Decline and Fall of the Catholic Church

    The role of concupiscence in dimming our spiritual sight has long been recognized by many, among them, such luminaries as Plato, Augustine, and Blaise Pascal: There are some who see clearly that man has no other enemy but concupiscence, which turns him away from God. (Pensées, Krailsheimer #269, p. 110) Has anyone pointed out that…

  • Man Does Not Live by Bread Alone

    The recent suicide of Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and 'foodie,' offers food for thought. Why would so apparently successful and well-liked a man suddenly hang himself in his hotel room? One can only speculate on the basis of slender evidence, and it is perhaps morally dubious to do so.  On the other hand, not to…

  • Lust

    Ugly in a man, lust is uglier in a woman.

  • Abortion and the Wages of Concupiscence Unrestrained

    The 'pro-choice' movement, to use the polite euphemism, is fueled by concupiscence.  Not entirely, of course. To what extent, then? One naturally wants the pleasures of sexual intercourse without any consequences. One seeks cost-free indulgence in the most intense sensuous pleasure known to man. Unrestricted abortion on demand is a convenient remedy to an inconvenient…

  • Concupiscence

    If we were just animals, no problem. If we were pure spirits, no problem. Concupiscence is a problem because we are spiritual animals. Neither angels nor beasts, we 'enjoy' dual residency in opposing spheres. The problem is not that the flesh is weak while the spirit is willing. The problem is that the spirit is…

  • Avaritia Defended

    Here

  • First in the Mind

    The concupiscence of the flesh is first in the mind.

  • Lust versus Pride

    Both are deadly to the moral life but they push or pull in opposite directions.  Lust leads to dispersion into sensuous multiplicity.  Pride leads to fixation on the false unity of the ego.  These are two different ways to lose your soul or true self. 

  • Sexbots and Sublunary Arts

    This just in from D. B.:Apropos of fairly recent usage of the word 'sublunary' on the MavPhil blog, and the entry on sexbots, I offer you C.S. Lewis' take on both in this paragraph from That Hideous Strength. "On this side (of the moon, facing the earth – DB), the womb is barrenand the marriages…

  • Gluttony: Another Sign of Decline

    So what can we teach the Muslim world?  How to be gluttons? Another sign of decline in the Spenglerian gloom of Der Untergang des Abendlandes is the proliferation of TV food shows, The U. S. of Bacon being one of them.  A big fat 'foody' roams the land in quest of diners and dives that…

  • What is Wrong with Gluttony?

    An earlier post addressed the nature of gluttony.  One important point to emerge was that gluttony cannot be identified with the consumption of excessive amounts of food or drink. But what is wrong with it? There are the worldling's reasons to avoid gluttony and there is no need to review them: the aesthetic reasons, the…

  • Defining Lust

    Before we can ask whether there is anything morally wrong with lust we have to know what we are talking about. What is lust? Here is a start: The inordinate craving for, or indulgence in, the carnal pleasure which is experienced in the human organs of generation. But this won't do as it stands since…

  • Lust

    How can something so paltry be such a huge spiritual impediment?

  • What is Gluttony?

    This just over the transom from a reader: I like food. From the time that I was in the food and beverage industry, I found much of it a delight. There was a beauty to the craftsmanship of creating and serving food and drink. One of my very favorite things to do is to cook…