Summary
Title: In Defense of Sin
Author: edited by John Portmann
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 0312239866
Pro:
• Unusual readings not always easy to find
• Offers dissenting views to contrast with pious tradition
• Demonstrates that "simple" moral problems aren't really simple
Con:
• Uneven choices for texts
• Not enough to tie texts together into a coherent whole
Description:
• 16 essays defending traditional sins
• Introduction by the author with each piece
• Argues for taking moral questions and "sinful" choices more seriously
Book Review
Unfortunately, such texts are often relegated to obscure academic journals or lie otherwise forgotten in dusty libraries, but John Portmann has collected several of these texts into one volume, In Defense of Sin. He includes essays defending idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery, lying, greed, pride, lust, promiscuity, prostitution, despair and more. Authors include Ludwig Feuerbach, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Sigmund Freud, and others.
Portmann’s point is not to destroy or undermine traditional morality; instead, he is hoping to encourage more sophisticated thinking about morality and sin:
- “This book risks showing us how to justify iniquity. But it does not aim to do that. In questioning just what is so wrong about sin, the essays of these philosophers suggest that sin might have limits we haven’t fully grasped.”
In some ways Portmann is providing a response to William Bennett’s popular “The Book of Virtues.” Bennett’s book simply dismisses sin as “transparently and obviously wrong” without ever addressing the question of why, if that is so, sin is also so attractive. As a result, Bennett does not take sin very seriously, nor does he accurately reflect the complex nature of morality and moral reasoning. This is what Portmann’s book does accomplish, and it is unfortunate that it probably won’t reach the same large audience as Bennett’s work has.
One of the more interesting essays comes from David Novitz, who discusses the nature and value of forgiveness. Many of the essays deal with behaviors against which non-religious people no longer hold the traditional religious taboos — for example, there isn’t the same general condemnation of adultery or idolatry as there once was or still is among religious people. That is not, however, the case with forgiveness.
It is a common assumption among even non-religious people that forgiving others is a virtue and not forgiving them is a vice, but Novitz demonstrates that reality should be regarded as much more complicated. According to Novitz, a person cannot simply force herself to forgive another through a simple act of will — and, in fact, being too ready to forgive may not be a good idea:
- “To be too eager to forgive is a vice since ...the attempt to forgive may not be rationally warranted, may very well signal a willingness to condone what is immoral, and may not only underestimate one’s own worth but, in the process, may perpetuate and aggravate the harm and the wrong that one has suffered, and may do so in ways that preclude eventual forgiveness.”
Instead of simply repeating the mantra that we should “forgive and forget,” Novitz makes a good case for the idea that we should rather strive to develop in ourselves a “forgiving attitude.” This does not guarantee that we will forgive those who harm us, but it does make it more likely and should make us better people in the end:
- “...those who have acquired the virtue of forgiveness — those, that is, who are disposed to undertake the task of forgiving in the appropriate circumstances — are more likely to succeed in this task than those who have not acquired this virtue. They will be practised at empathy and compassion and will tend, more often than not, to forgive in situations where it is appropriate to do so.”
Novitz’s essay is a good example for illustrating the nature of what Portmann is trying to accomplish. It does not argue that forgiving is bad or that not forgiving is good; instead, it argues that the simple dichotomy of forgiving vs. not forgiving does not accurately reflect human nature, and that traditional notions of how we should behave are inappropriate. In contrast, Novitz argues that reality is more complicated than we realize and that we should think more seriously rather than simply repeat mindlessly “forgive and forget.”
Portmann’s collection is unusual and invaluable in discussions about morality and ethical reasoning. People who want to take seriously questions about prostitution, blasphemy, adultery, and other vices should read these essays. They do not provide final answers, but they do provide a great deal to think about.
