At the end of chapter 1 Taylor notes “The link between excess and the vices is hardly surprising: if the virtuous are balanced in their judgments then the vicious, by contrast, will lack such balance and to that extent lack control over their feelings.” I want to focus mostly on the link that Taylor is hinting at between exhibiting the vices and exhibiting them often. Exhibiting vices excessively is relevant because, as Taylor mentions, it is likely that if someone acts viciously once she will not suffer the negative impact associated with the given vice’s long-term consequences. However, the underlying problem here is that balance is a term associated with virtues; it is only natural then, that excess accompanies the vices. I am not sure that this association necessarily exists, but I find the notion a very provocative subject. It adds another layer to the vices, making them seem to be an addictive behavior – jealousy could very well be compared to nicotine and caffeine on this view.
This comparison initially might seem moot, but the long-term similarities are disturbingly visible: a person might exhibit a vice, such as jealousy, only very briefly on a single occasion; then, over time the person would likely have her thoughts more and more focused on things that she doesn’t have and others do. She might even notice this about herself and be unable to shake the reflex that has passively developed over time, and have to actively wean herself off of the behavior. The comparison to an addictive substance is more credible than it seems, yes? We can count this as a good reason to avoid ever consciously acting viciously.
1 comment:
I agree that vices may work in a sort of addictive sense at times, but am hesitant to argue that Taylor's piece implies this or even leads to the connection. There is a sense in which one can commit a vicious act such as being jealous but not become addicted to jealousy. It is true that some may become addicted and thus the single vicious act in turn becomes a vice. However, in the same way that one can have a bad experience with one's first cup of coffee or first time smoking and be turned off rather than on the path to addiction, one may act in a vicious manner and learn from it immediately and become if nothing else more virtuous due to the experience. I believe Taylor is right to say that vices come in excess. After all, a vice like a virtue is more than just an instance of acting a certain way, it is a full on character trait and way of being. One may act virtous or vicious in a moment and not truly possess the given virtue or vice. Taylor does not deny that one may be vicious in a moment, she simply argues that one who truly possesses a given vice will act vicious in excess. That person will be addicted. However, one slip up does not necessarily lead to addiction.
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