Aristotle says, \"[Those who are] thoroughly bad and impious . . . are at varian

Question

Aristotle says,
"[Those who are] thoroughly bad and impious . . . are at variance with themselves, and have appetites for some things and rational desires for others. . . . incontinent people . . . choose, instead of the things they themselves think good, things that are pleasant but hurtful; while others again, through cowardice and laziness, shrink from doing what they think best for themselves." 9:4

The Apostle Paul (in Romans 7:15-23 of the Bible) says,

15 I do not understand what I do. . . . 18 I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. . . . 19 I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. . . . 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
We are sometimes "conflicted" between what we know we ought to do (by exercise of our will) and what we want to do (according to our desires). How do you think Aristotle's explanation of why we are conflicted in this way is the same or different from Paul's discussion in Romans 7? Is either one's explanation more correct? If so, why?

Explanation / Answer

We are sometimes "conflicted" between what we know we ought to do (by exercise of our will) and what we want to do (according to our desires). I think Aristotle's explanation of why we are conflicted in this way is EXACTLY the same from Paul's discussion in Romans 7. Both of the had explained this thing in a correct manner. However, St. Paul's explanation is more poetic, gradual and more informative than that of Aristotle's. Aristotle's explanation would not be easily understood by ordinary human beings as it is very much philoshopical and dry; it do not have any poetic elements in it.

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