Comment on SBA #231 Sins and Virtues

• Tenniswaffles@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  Do you have a proper substantive source for the seven deadly sins predating Christianity?

  I’m legitimately curious here, because I can’t find anything that supports that claim.

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  • agent_nycto@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    virtue ethics

    I’m pretty sure I read something a while ago which drew a connection between Socrates to Aristotle’s Golden Mean, something about Plato, and then that being the inspiration for the seven.

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    • Tenniswaffles@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      That’s very interesting.

      I agree that it’s very possible, likely even, that the Christian seven deadly sins were heavily influenced by virtue ethics, the golden mean, etc. But the statement “the seven deadly sins predates Christianity” doesn’t feel right imo.

      While yes, the concept of virtues, identifying and espousing them definitely predate Christianity, the “seven deadly sins” is a very specific thing. While similar, they aren’t the same so you cant really say that the concept of the seven deadly sins existed specifically before it was developed and spread by Christianity.

      I don’t think you’re trying to say that the seven deadly sins specifically predate Christianity, just that the concept of identifying negative and detrimental traits and behaviours do. But it’s easy to think you are conflating those at a glance. (Or maybe you are, I don’t actually know.)

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      • agent_nycto@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        I read somewhere that they were originally about what distracts you from the gods and doing good, and it was some Greek philosopher. Like I said, it’s been a while. Maybe my brain made it up and I’m misremembering.

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      • ByteJunk@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        Valid points, and I agree that the “packaging” of vices into this format of “7 deadly sins” is traceable to early Christian origins.

        You’ve also conceded that this format is clearly rooted on the earlier Hellenistic vice/virtue framework, so I’ll call the 7 deadly sins a “dark age one pager”, meant for monks and other people of simpler minds.

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• yistdaj@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  Also the seven deadly sins predate Christanity.

  I thought the of the seven deadly sins, as often listed, developed within Christianity?

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  • agent_nycto@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    I think they are based on ancient Greek virtue ethics or something. I couldn’t find the paper I read about it a while ago though.

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