Vice Field Experiment

Riley Tanis
10/25/2023
Vice studied: Spiritual Apathy/Sloth
Explanation of the vice (definition and anything else relevant): Aquinas speaks about it as a
sorrow because we withdraw from a spiritual good because it demands motivation, love, or effort
to a higher degree then we are willing to give.
Observation 1: Sloth prompts me to put worldly responsibilities and desires above spiritual
goods.
Insight 1 – Explain your insight (including how your observations and material from the
course helped you to reach it): My insight is that the sin of sloth has been reducing the
importance of spiritual good in favor of what is right in front of me. I found that when I tried to
prioritize visiting Jesus in the tabernacle once each day, I failed because I had too much
homework or got distracted. I realized sloth makes spiritual goods less important to me and that
it caused me to be apathetic to the desire of my soul to stay motivated to drive towards spiritual
goods.
Insight 1 –Explain why it is important: This is important because it means spiritual apathy has
been destroying my willpower. In order to pursue spiritual goods, we must will them, otherwise
we will fall short in every category. This apathy, by that line if reason, has been causing me to
fall short in every category because it cuts off God who is the source of spiritual goodness.
Observation 2: If sloth was a monster, it would be an octopus.
Insight 2 – Explain your insight (including how your observations and material from the
course helped you to reach it): I described it as an octopus because sloth has many different
arms to grasp you with. I observed that when I tried to practice diligence, I found many different
reasons to continue in spiritual apathy. My will was resistant to change and so it found another
way to twist reason against diligence. It’s almost like when I freed myself from one ‘arm’ another
one came out to grasp me.
Insight 2 –Explain why it is important: This is vital because vices are a type of habit. As
explained in Aristotle’s Book I of Nicomachean Ethics, vice is a state of the appetite leading a
weak and unresistant will, which as a consequence only perpetuates evil habits. If I am going to
be able to conquer vice, it is going to be a slow and difficult revival of my will over my appetite.
Conclusions: Sloth is described as a gateway vice and this title is fitting because to works to cut
the soul off from the source of spiritual goodness. A soul that is not motivated out of love to
pursue spiritual goods will grow complacent and start to detest the greater good for lesser goods.
Even though these worldly goods are often not evil, the become an impediment because we
prioritize them over fulfilling the demands of having a relationship with God. This makes virtue
a chore rather than an aspiration and causes our souls to be very starved and sorrowful.