121. Evidence in our experience for Original Sin
121. EVIDENCE IN OUR EXPERIENCE FOR ORIGINAL SIN
Original Sin is a controversial Christian dogma. Is there evidence in our experience for it?
As a result of original justice (or original righteousness, before the Fall), the reason had perfect hold over the lower parts of the soul, while reason itself was perfected by God and was subject to Him. Now this same original justice was forfeited through the sin of our first parent . . . so that all the powers of the soul are left, as it were, (at least somewhat) destitute of their proper order whereby they are naturally directed to virtue, which destitution is called a wounding of nature.
. . . [T]here are four of the soul’s powers that can be the subject of virtue . . . viz. the reason, where prudence resides, the will, where justice is, the irascible (appetite), the subject of fortitude, and the concupiscible (appetite), the subject of temperance. Therefore in so far as the reason is deprived of its order to the true, there is the wound of ignorance; in so far as the will is deprived of its order to the good there is the wound of malice; in so far as the irascible is deprived of its order to the ardous, there is the wound of weakness; and in so far as the concupiscible is deprived of its order to the delectable, moderated by reason, there is the wound of concupiscence. . . .
But since the inclination to the good of virtue is diminished in each individual on account of actual sin . . . these four wounds are also the result of other (actual) sins, in so far as through sin the reason is obscured, especially in practical matters, the will hardened to evil, good actions become more difficult, and concupiscence more impetuous (I-II,85,3).
We can see Original Sin by contrast with Original Righteousness, or Rightness, or Justice.
What is right, or proper, or well-ordered is for the higher to rule the lower and for the lower to obey the higher. This means (1) for God to rule the soul, (2) for reason to rule the appetites through the will, (3) for the will to be subject to reason, (4) and for the appetites to obey the rational will, so that we do what is right even when it is painful or hard, and (5) we do not do wrong even when it is pleasant or desirable.
In other words, in this state of innocence we are perfectly regulated by (1) the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, whereby the soul is united to and obedient to God, and the four cardinal natural virtues of (2) prudence, or wisdom, (3) justice, or righteousness, (4) fortitude, or courage, and (5) moderation, or temperance, or self-control.
The opposite vices to the four cardinal natural virtues are (2) ignorance in the reason, (3) injustice in the will, (4) weakness in the irascible (negative, aversive) appetites, and (4) concupiscence (disordered desires) in the concupiscible (positive, attractive) appetites.
Do we now live in the state of innocence or the state of sin? “Know thyself.” We’re not in Kansas any more, Toto. We are “east of Eden”.
How did we get here? It wasn’t a tornado. It was the first actual sin of our first parents that brought about the state of Original Sin in human nature and in the whole human race, the state that we were born with. But also it was our own actual sins in our own lives that freely confirmed and strengthened this state of Original Sin that we were born with.
We also choose acts of virtue that oppose and weaken our Original Sin. For our innate inclination to virtue, given to us by God in our very human nature, is not destroyed, only diminished.
With every vice, virtue becomes more difficult, but still possible. With every virtue, additional virtue becomes less difficult, but vice is always still possible. Life is spiritual warfare, and both sides are very much alive. The map of the virtues is a map of a battlefield.