Niebuhr - Dialogue between the will and conscience of the self

7/29/2019 Niebuhr - Dialogue between the will and conscience of the self

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T he chi ef diff icul ty in the F reudlan analysis ofthe sel f is that i t is bli nd to the resources J orboth love and self.love at the very heights ofhuman personality, rather than in a pleasureseeking "id.'"

T h e D i a l o g u e B e t w e e n t h e W i l l a n dC o n sc i e n c e o f th e S e l f

T H E R E L A T I O N o f t he c on sc ie nc et o t h e w i l l o f t h e s e l f i s c e r t a i n l yo n e a s p e c t o f t h e s e w s i n t e r n a l d i a -I o g u e . W i l l a n d c o n s c i e n c e a r e t w ol e v e l s o f t h e t r a n s c e n d e n c e o f t h e s e lfo v e r i t s e l f . M o r e a c c u r a t e l y , t h e w i l l i st h e r e s u l t o f th e s e l f' s tr a n s c e n d e n c eo v e r t h e c o m p l e x o f i t s i m p u l s e s a n dd e s i r e s . T h e W i l l i s i n f a c t t h e s e l f o r -g a n i z e d f o r t h e a t t a i n m e n t o f e i t h e r as h o r t - r a n g e o r l o n g - r a n g e p u r p o s e .T h i s o r g a n i z a t i o n re q u i r e s a r a t i o n a la n a l y s i s o f t h e e n d s i n v ie w , a c o m -p a r i s o n o f t h e r e l a t i v e m e r i t s o f t h o s ee n d s e i t h e r f r o m t h e s t a n d p o i n t o f t h es e l f' s t o t a l e n d s o r f r o m t h e s t a n d p o i n to f s o m e m o r e i n c lu s i v e s y s t e m o f v a l u e .T h e w i l l i s o p e r a t i v e o n a l l le v e ls . Ay o u n g m a n m a y , f o r i n s t a n ce , w i l l t ob e a l a w y e r ; w i l l t o t a k e a c o l l e g e e d u -c a t i o n i n p u r s u i t o f t h i s u l t i m a t e e n d ;a n d w i l l t o j o i n t h e f o o t b a l l s q u a d . H em a y w i ll t h e l a t t e r c o u r s e e i th e r i n p u r -s u i t o f t h e u l t i m a t e e n d , o r b e c a u s e i ti s a n a n c i l l a r y e n d w h i c h i s d e e m e d b yh i m n o t t o b e i n c o n f l i c t w i t h h i s u l t i -m a t e e n d . O n a l l t h e s e l e v e l s o f w i l l -

This is a chapter from The Self and theDramas of History by Reinhold Niebuhr.Copyright 1955 by Reinhold N iebuhr. R e-printe d by permiss ion of Charles Scrihner 'sSons.

R E IN H O L D N I E B U H RVice President of the Facultyand Charles A. BrlggsGraduate Professor ofEthics and TheologyUhion Theological Seminary

i n g r e as o n i s t h e s e w s i n s t r u m e n t i nj u d g i n g t h e g o a l s o f a c t io n . Y e t t h ec o n s i s t e n c y w i t h w h i c h a : se lf p u r -s u e s i t s i m m e d i a t e e n d s a n d s u b o r d i -n a t e s t h e m t o a n u l t i m a t e e n d i s n o t a ni n t e l l e c t u a l a c h i e v e m e n t . C o n s i s t e n c y i st h e a c h i e v e m e n t o f t h e s e lf r a t h e r t h a no f it s r ea s o n , b e c a u s e t h e r e i s n o p o w e ri n r e a s o n a s s u c h t o c o m p e l c o n s i s te n c yt h o u g h i t m a y h a v e t h e p o w e r t o d e t e c ti n c o n s i s t e n c y i n t h e p u r s u i t o f g o a l s :T h e s e l f' s c a p a c i t y t o v i e w i t se l f , a n dt o j u d g e e i t h e r it s s h o r t - r a n g e o r i t sl o n g : r a n g e p u r p o s es , g i v e s r i s e t o ar e a l i t y i n i t s l i f e w h i c h i s u s u a l l y t e r m -e d " c o n s c i e n c e . " C o n s c i e n c e , l i k e W i ll ,a v a i l s i t s e l f o f r a t i o n a l t o o l s b u t i s n o ts u b j e c t t o t h e s e i n s t r u m e n t s .I t w o u l d s ee m t h at a n y j u d g m e n t b yt h e s el f o f i t s o w n a c t i o n s a n d a t t i t u d e si s a n e x p r e s s i o n o f c o n s c i e n c e . B u t t h i si s n o t s o. T h e . se lf m a y , w h e n v i e w i n gi t s a c t i o n s , e i t h e r a c c u s e o r e x c u s e i t -s e l f ; a n d i f i t a c c u s e s i ts e l f, i t m a y d os o f r o m i t s o w n s t a n d p o i n t . T h a t i s, it


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I0 P A S T O R ~ 4 L P S Y C H O L O G Y lu~em a y v i e w i t s a c t i o n s a s b e i n g t o o " u n -s e l f i s h " a n d n o t s u f f i c i e n t l y c o n c e r n e dw i t h i t s o w n i n t e r e s t s .

I n s h o r t , t h e s e l f i n t h e p o s i t i o n o fv i e w i n g i t s o w n a c t i o n s is n o t i n e v i t -a b l y e x p r e s s i n g i ts " c o n s c i e n c e . " T h ep r e v a l e n t v i e w t h a t t h e r e i s s o m e i d e n -t it y b e t w e e n c o n s c i e n c e a n d r e a s o n isd u e t o t h e e r r o r o f a s s u m i n g t h a t t h es e lf in th e p o s i t i o n o f t r a n s c e n d i n g i t-s e l f i n e v i t a b l y h a s a w i d e r c o n c e r nt h a n t h e s e l f i n i t s e n g a g e m e n t s . I t h a sa w i d e r v i e w , b u t n o t n e c e s s a r i l y aw i d e r i n t e r e s t . T h e f a c t i s t h a t t h e s e l fw h i c h v i e w s i t s o w n a c t i o n s a n d a t t i -t u d e s i s m o r e i n c l i n e d t o b e c o n c e r n e df o r i t s e l f t h a n t o j u d g e i t s e l f f o r t h i sc o n c e r n : W e m u s t p o s t p o n e f o r t h em o m e n t a c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h is a s p e c to f s e l f - t r a n s c e n d e n c e t o c o n s i d e r t h em a n i f e s t a t i o n s o f "consc ience , " p a r t i c -u l a r ly i n it s r e l a t i on t o t he wi ll. W ew i l l d e f i n e c o n s c i e n c e , p r o v i s i o n a l l y a tl e as t, a s a n y a s p e c t o f t h e s e l f' s j u d g i n gi t s a c t i o n s a n d a t t i t u d e s i n w h i c h as e n se o f o b l i g a ti o n i n c o n t r a s t t o i n -c l i n a t i o n i s e x p r e s s e d . M a n y e f f o r t sh a v e b e e n m a d e t o d e n y t h e r e a l i t y o fs u c h a se n s e o f " o u g h t . " M o s t o f t h e s ee f fo r ts a r e c l ea r ly d e r i v e d f r o m o n e :d i m e n s i o n a l v i e w s o f s e l f h o o d , u s u a l l y9e l a b o r a t e d w i t h i n a n a t u r a l i s t i c o n t o l -o g y . T h e y t r y t o e l i m i n a t e t h e d i s t i n c -t i o n b e t w e e n t h e d e s i r e d a n d t h e d e s i r -a b l e i n t h e v i e w ' o f t h e s elf. B u t t h e yf a i l t o e x p l a i n w h y t h e s e l f i s u n d e r t h en e c e s s i t y o f s e e k i n g w h a t i t d e s i r e s b yp r o v i n g ~ h a t t h e d e s i r e d i s r e a l l y d e -s i r a b l e ; o r t h a t w h a t t h e s e l f w a n t s i si n a c c o r d w i t h s o m e w i d e r s y s t e m o fv a l u e s t h a n t h e s e l f ' s o w n i n t e r e s t s .T h e s e h y p o c r i s i e s a r e t h e m o s t t e l l i n gr e f u t a t i o n s o f o n e - d i m e n s i o n a l v i e w s o fs e l f h o o d . T h e y p r o v e t h a t t h e r e i s ar e a l d ~ s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n i n c l i n a t i o n a n do b l ig a t io n , b e t w e e n t h e d e s i r e s o f t h es e l f a n d i t s c o n c e p t i o n o f a s y s t e m o fv a l u e w h i c h d o e s n o t d e p e n d u p o n i t s

i n c l in a t i o n o r d e s i r e s . T h i s s e n s e o fo b l ig a t io n i s p o w e r f u l e n o u g h t o a l l o wt h e s e l f f r e e d o m t o a c h i e v e w h a t i t d e -s i r e s o n l y w h e n i t i s a b l e t o p e r s u a d ei t s e l f t h a t w h a t i t d e s i r e s i s c o n s o n a n tw i t h th i s m o r e g e n e r a l s y s t e m o f v a lu e s .

T H E " c o n t e n t " o f c o n sc ie n c e i s o b -v i o u s l y v e r y r e l a t i v e t o t i m e a n dp l a c e . Y e t t h e m i n i m a l t e r m s o f o u ro b l i g a ti o n s t o o u r n e i g h b o r s , i n c o r -p o r a t e d , f o r i n s t a n c e , i n t h e p r o h i b i t i o no f m u r d e r , t h e f t a n d a d u l t e r y , a r e f a i r-l y u n i v e r s al . H u m e r i g h t l y o b s e r v e dt h a t t h e " p r e f e r e n c e f o r b e n e v o l e n c eo v e r s e l l r e g a r c ! " w a s u n i v e r s a l , c e r -t a i n l y m o r e u n i v e r s a l t h a n a c t u a lb e n e v o l e n c e .

9 P e r h a p s i t w o u l d b e c o r r e c t t o s u r -m i s e t h a t t h e u n i v e r s a l i t i e s o f t h e" m o r a l l a w " a r e d e r i v e d f r o m i n t u i t i o n so f th e s e lf ' a b o u t t h e e s s e n t ia l n a t u r eo f i t s s e l fh o o d . T o t h i s e s s e n t i a l n a t u r eb e l o n g , o n t h e o n e h a n d , i t s b i o l o g i c a ls t r u c t u r e , a n d , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , i tss o c i a l n a t u r e . T h e s e l f w o u l d t h e r e f o r ef e e l o b l i g a t e d t o c o n f o r m t o t h e " l a w "w r i t t e n i n t o i ts n a t u r e , i n c l u d i n g t h el a w o f l o v e o r t h e l a w w h i c h i s d e r i v e df r o m t h e m u t u a l d e p e n d e n c e o f p e r s o n s .

Y e t t h e c o n t e n t o f c o n s c i e n c e i sm u c h m o r e r e l at iv e t h a n t h e p r o p o n e n t so f t h e i d e a o f " m o r a l i n t u i t i o n s " r e ~ -l i ze . These r e l a t i v i t i e s po in t t o t hes o c ia l d e r i v a t i o n o f t h e m o r a l la w . M a ni s b o t h a n h i s t o r i c a l a n d s o c i a l c r e a t u r e .H e d o e s n o t m a k e h i s m o r a l j u d g m e n t si n a v a c u u m . T h e c o m m u n i t y i n w h i c hh e ' l i v e s s e t s t h e s t a n d a r d s b y w h i c h h ej u d g e s h i m s e l f . T h e r e i s a t l e a s t t h a tm o d i c u m o f t r u t h i n th e m o r a l r e la -t i v i s m p r o p o u n d e d b y m o d e r n a n t h r o -p o l o g i s t s . T h a t t h i s i s n o t t h e w h o l et r u t h o f th e m a t t e r i s p r o v e d b y t h ef r e q u e n c y w i th w h i c h " c o n s c ie n c e " e x -p r e s s e s i ts e l f i n d e f i a n c e o f t h e c o m -m u n i t y . T h e m o d e r n m a r t y r s w h o h a v eg i v e n t h e i r l if e t o d e f y c o m m u n i ti e s


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1 9 5 8 D I AL O G U E B E T W E E N T H E W I L L A N D C O N S C IE N C E 11w h i c h s o u g h t t o m a k e t o t a l c la im s u p o nt h e i n d i v i d u a l h a v e v i v i d l y r e f u t e d a l lt h e o r i e s , w h e t h e r p s y c h o l o g i c a l , s o c i o -l o g ic a l o r a n t h r o p o l o g i c a l, w h i c h s o u g h tt o r e d u c e t h e s e n s e o f m o r a l o b l i g a t i o nt o a p u r e l y s o c i o l o g i c a l p h e n o m e n o n .M o r e p a r t ic u l a r ly t h e y r e f u t e d t h eF r e n d i a n t h e o r y o f t h e " s u p e r - e g o "w h i c h w a s - n o m o r e t h a n t h e p r e s s u r eo f t h e c o m m u n i t y u p o n t h e " e g o . "

I t i s w o r t h n o t i n g h o w e v e r t h a t c o n -S i s t e n t l y " l i b e r a l " o r " b o u r g e o i s " n o -t io n s o f c o n s c ie n c e a s p u r e l y i n d i v id u a ld o n o t d o j u s t i c e t o t h e f a c t t h a t t h ei n d i v i d u a l i s b e s t a b l e t o d e f y a c o m -m u n i t y w h e n h i s c o n s c i e n c e i s in f o r m e da n d r e in f o r ce d b y a n o t h e r c o m m u n i t y ,w h e t h e r r e l i g i o u s o r p o l i t i c a l . P e r h a p st h e f i n a l p a r a d o x o f t h e s o c i a l a n d i n -d i v i d u a l d i m e n s i o n o f t h e m o r a l s e n s eis r e v e a l e d b y t h e f a c t t h a t t h e in d i -v i d u a l m a y d e f y a c o m m u n i t y w h i c hd i r e c t l y i m p i n g e s u p o n h i s l i f e a n dt h r e a t e n s h i s l i b e r t y b y i t s c o e r c i o n s ;b u t h i s d e f i i a n c e i s u s u a l l y u n d e r t a k e ni n t h e n a m e o f a n o t h e r , m o r e i n c l u s i v eo r m o r e w o r t h y , c o m m u n i t y e v e nt h o u g h t h a t c o m m u n i t y m a k e s n o o v e r tc l a i m s u p o n h i m a n d m a y e x i s t o n l y i nh i s i m a g i n a t i o n .

J' O H N W h e e l e r B e n n e tt 's s tu d y oft h e h i s t o r y o f t h e G e r m a n m i l it a ryc a s t e i n h i s N e m e s i s o f P o w e r i s an i n -t e r e s t i n g s u r v e y o f th e r e la t io n o f" c o n s c i e n c e , " b o t h t o t h e p r e s s u r e o fs e l f- c o n c e r n a n d t o t h e h i s t o r ic a l t r a -d i t io n s w h i c h . m a y i n fo r m , a c o n s c ie n c e .A c c o r d i n g t o t h i s s t u d y , t h e m i l i t a r yC a s t e w h i c h h a d s t r i c t c o n c e p t i o n s o f" h o n o r " a n d a p e r s o n a l e t h i c w h i c hm a d e N a z i p r a c t i c e s a b h o r r e n t t o i t ,w a s n e v e r t h e l e s s t h e c h i e f i n s t r u m e n tf o r l et ti n g H i t le r c o m e to p o w e r , a n dc a m e t o a n i g n o m i n i o u s e n d , f ir s t a sp a r t n e r a n d t h e n a s C ap tiv e, o f t h e N a z ir e g i m e . T h i s r e s u l t w a s p a r t l y d u e t ot h e f a c t t h a t t h e t r a d i t i o n a l m o r a l c o d e

o f i t s m e m b e r s a s s u m e d t h e p r e d a t o r yc h a r a c t e r o f t h e n a t i o n ' s m o r a l it y .T h e r e w a s t h u s a p a r t i a l c o n c u r r e n c eb e t w e e n t h e i r a n d t h e N a z i m o r a l i t y .T h e y w e r e s e c o n d l y m o t i v a t e d b y as t r o n g p r i d e o f c a s t e w h i c h H i t l e rf i na l l y ou t r aged , bu t i n i t i a l l y sa t i s f i ed ,b y g i v i n g t h e m a s e e m i n g l y e x a l t e dp o s i ti o n in th e " T h i r d R e i c h . " T h e yw e r e , i n a d d i t i o n , s o p o l i t i c a l l y i n e p t ,t h a t t h e y w e r e u n c o n s c i o u s o f h a v i n gg i v e n t h e n o o s e i n t o H i t l e r ' s h a n d s ,w h i c h h e u se d t o h a n g t h e m . T h i s n o o s ew a s t h e i r o w n e x a g g e r a t e d c o n c e p t i o no f " l o y a l t y , " a n d t h e i r a b h o r r e n c e o f ~b r e a l d n g a n o a t h o f a l le g i an c e . T h u s t h ei n a d e q u a c y o f t h e m o r a l t r a d i t i o n sw h i c h i n f o r m e d t h e i r c o n s c i e n c e w a se q u a l l y r e s p o n s i b l e w i t h t h e i r p o l i t i c a li n e p t n e s s , t h e i r l a c k o f p e r s o n a l p o l i t i-c a l i n t e g r i t y , a n d t h e i r p e r s o n a l a n dc o l le c ti v e p r i d e i n m a k i n g t h e m t h ec h i e f a g e n t s o f th e i r n a t i o n ' s u n d o i n g .9Y e t t h e r e w e r e s i g n i f i c a n t v a r i a t i o n s i nt h e g e n e r a l p a t t e r n o f t h e t r a d i t i o nw h i c h i n f o r m e d t h e i r m o r a l l i f e . T h e r ew a s a g r e a t d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e i n -t e g r i t y o f a " co n S e e k t a n d t h e c a p a c i t yf o r i n t r i g u e o f a y o n S c h l e ic h e r . A n dt h e h e r o i c c o u r a g e w h i c h f i n a l l y m a d ea r e v o l t a g a i n s t H i t l e r p o s s i b l e w a so n l y s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t i n c o m p o s i t i o nf r o m t h e c h a r a c t e r t r a i t s w h i c h m a d et h e c a s t e s u c h a n i g n o m i n i o u s i n s t r u -m e n t o f H i t l e r 's r e g i m e . N o b e t t e r s y m -b o l c o u l d b e h a d i n h i s t o r y o f t h e i n -f i n i t e l y v a r i e d r e l a t i o n o f c o n s c i e n c e t oc o m m u n a l m o r a l t ra d i ti o n , o n t h e o n eh a n d , a n d o f c o n s c i e n c e t o s e l f- c o n c e r n ,o n t h e o t h e r .

S i n c e i t i s t h e s e l f w h i c h w i l l s a n dt h e s e l f , o n a n o t h e r l e v e l o f t r a n s c e n d -e n c e , w h i c h j u d g e s w h a t i t h a s w i l l e d ,t h e r e i s n a t u r a l l y s o m e c o n f u s i o n a b o u tt h e r e l a t i o n o f w i l l t o c o n s c i e n c e , i l -l u s t r a t e d i n S h a k e s p e a r e ' s M e r c h a n t o ~V e n i c e i n t h e a c c o u n t o f t h e d i a l o g u eb e t w e e n L a u n c e l o t G o b b o a n d h i s c o n -


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12 P A S T O R A L P S Y C H O L O G Ys c ie n c e . I n S t . P a u l ' s c o n f e s s i o n o f t h ed i v i s io n i n h i s s o u l ( R o m a n s 7 ) , c o n -s c i e n ce i s, o n t h e o n e h a n d , a f o r c ea b o v e t h e s el f ( " T h e l a w is s p i r i t u a l :b u t I a m c a r n al , s o l d u n d e r s i n " ) b u t ,o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e s e lf i d e n t i fi e s i t -s e lf w i t h c o n s c i e n c e a n d f e e l s t h a t t h e r ei s a f o r c e o f i n c l i n a t i o n w h i c h o p e r a t e sa g a i n s t b o t h w i l l a n d c o n s c i e n c e ( " I ,y e t n o t I , b u t s i n t h a t d w e l l e t h i n m e " ) .T h i s c o n f u s i o n i s h e i g h t e n e d b y t h ef a c t t h a t c o n s c i e n c e m a y b e c o m e " d i -v i d e d " b e c a u s e i t i s a t d i f f e r e n t t i m e si n f o r m e d b y c o n t r a s t i n g s e t s o f l o y a l -t i e s a n d o p e r a t e s i n d i f f e r e n t c o n t e x t so f m o r a l c la im s . M a r k T w a i n i s v e r ym u c h i n t e r e s t e d i n th i s c o n f u s i o n . I nh i s H u c k l e b e r r y F i n n , h e p i c t u r e s" H u c k " a n x i o u s i n o n e m o m e n t b e -c a u s e t el l i n g t h e t r u t h w o u l d d e l i v e rh i s f r e n d t h e r u n a w a y s la v e; J i m , t o h i sp u r s u e r s , a n d i n t h e n e x t m o m e n t u n -e a s y b e c a u s e h e h a s t o l d a l i e . H u c kt h e r e u p o n c r i e s o u t a g a i n s t t h i s c o n -f u s i o n : " I t d o n ' t m a k e n o d i f f e re n c ew h e t h e r y o u d o r i g h t o r w r o n g ; a p e r -s o n ' s c o n s c i e n c e a i n ' t g o t n o s e n s e a n dg o e s f o r h i m a n y w a y . I f I h a d a y a l l e rd o g a n d h e h a d n o m o r e s e n s e t h a nm y c o n s c i e n c e I w o u l d p o i s o n h i m . I tt a k e s u p m o r e r o o m t h a n a l l a p e r s o n ' si n s id e s a n d a i n ' t n o g o o d n o h o w . T o mS a w y e r s a y s s o t o o . "

T H E R E L A T I O N o f c on sc ie nc e t or e a s o n i s a n e v e n g r e a t e r s o u r c eo f c o n f u s i o n . W e h a v e s e e n t h a t t h es e lf , b o t h i n i t s w i l l i n g a n d i n i t s i u d g -i n g , a v a i l s i ts e l f o f i t s l o g i c a l a n d a n a -l y t i c f a c u l t i e s . I n w i l l i n g , i t u s e s l o g i ct o a v o i d c o n f u s i o n .i n t h e o r g a n i z a t i o no f i t s a i m s . I t a l s o a v a i l s i t s e l f o fr e a s o n t o d e t e c t t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n b e -t w e e n i t s a i m s a n d d e s i r e s a n d a l a r g e rs y s t em o f v a l u es o f w h i c h i t h as b e c o m ec o n s c i o u s b e c a u s e i t c a n s u r v e y i t s e l fi n i ts r e l a ti o n t o s o m e l a r g e r c o m m u n a lo r m o r a l s y s t e m i n w h i c h i t s d e s i r e s

a r e n o t a s c e n t r a l a s t h e y s e e m t o b e i ni t s u n r e f l e c t i v e s t a t e.B u t i s i s i m p o r t a n t t o n o t e t h a t t h es e l f i s a l w a y s t h e m a s t e r , a n d n o t t h es e r v a n t , o f i t s re a s o n . T h a t i s w h y r e -f l e ct i o n i s n o t i d e n t i c a l w i t h t h e o p e r -a ti or L o f c o n s c ie n c e . R e f l e c t i o n m a yp r o m p t a g r e a t e r s e l f - c o n c er n t h a n a nu n r e f l e c t i v e e n g a g e m e n t o f t h e s e l f i ni t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s a n d a f f ec t i on s . T h es e l f i s , i n f a c t, m o r e , r a t h e r t h a n l e s s ,i n c l i n e d t o b e c o n c e r n e d w i t h i t s e l fw h e n i t d e t a c h e s i t s e lf f r o m a s i t u a t i o na n d v i e w s it" f r o m a t r a n s c e n d e n t p o s i -t i o n . T h i s f a c t g i v e s a t l e a s t a p r o -v i s i o n a l j u s t i f ic a t i o n f o r t h e l o w e r e s -t i m a t e s o f th e m o r a l q u a l i t y o f " r e a s o n "w h i c h r o m a n t i c i sm a d v a n ce s . 1 I t a l s oe x p l a i n s w h y H o b b e s , w i t h s o m e p l au -s i b i li t y , c o u l d r e g a r d t h e s a m e r e a s o n ,w h i c h p h i l o s o p h e r s f r o m P l a t o a n dA r i s t o t l e t o K a n t r e g a r d e d a s t h e r o o to f v i r t u e , a s t h e c a u s e o f t h e i n o r d i -n a n c y o f h u m a n a m b i t i o n s . I t w a s, a c -c o r d i n g t o H o b b e s , m a n ' s " r e a s o n "w h i c h d i s t u r b e d t h e s h n p l e h a r m o n y o fn a t u r e . M e n b y t h e i r r e a s o n " s a w o rt h o u g h t t h e y s a w " a b e t t e r w a y o f o r -g a n i z 'i n g t h e i r c o m m o n l if e. T h i s u s u -a l l y m e a n t o r g a n i z i n g t o t h e i r g r e a t e ra d v a n t a g e . T h e s e lf , i n s h o r t , c o u l du s e r e a s o n t o j u s t i f y i t s e n d s a s w e l l a st o j u d g e t h e m , a n d t h e r e w a s e v i d e n t l yn o p o w e r i n r e a s o n t o l i m i t t h e d e s i r e sa n d a m b i t i o n s o f m e n . " T h e r e w a s n or a t i o n a l l y c o m p e l l i n g a n a ly s i s o f a c o m -p l e x s o c i a l s i t u a t i o n w h i c h c o u l d c o m -p e l . t h e s e lf t o m o d e r a t e i t s c la i m s i n t h ei n t e r e s t s o f t h e w h o l e . T h e i n c l i n a t i o no f t h e s e l f t o u s e i t s f r e e d o m o v e r s e l fa n d t h e c o m m u n a l s i t u a t io n t o p re s s i tsc l a i m s r a t h e r t h a n t o m o d e r a t e t h e m ,p r o v e s t h e i n a d e q u a c y o f a l i t h e o r i e sw h i c h e q u a t e s e l f- c o n c e rn w i t h s o m ei n e r t i a o f n a t u r e o r s o m e v e s t i g e o f i n -f a n t e g o - c e n t r i c i t y . T h e c h i e f d if f ic u l ty

1 Bergson: "When the self f irs t begins tothink of itself it thinks of itself first."


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14 PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGYin the Freudian analysis of the self isthat it is blind to the resources forboth love and self-love at the veryheights of human personality, ratherthan in a pleasure seeking "id."

T HE UN IV ER SA L inclination ofthe self to be more concerned withitself than to be embarrassed by its un-due claims may be defined as "originalsin." The universal ity of the inclinationis something of a mystery. The ortho-dox idea of an inherited sinful taintcertainly can not explain this tendency.Nor is it meaningful to follow theolo-gians, who, since Origen, have reducedthis tendency to an ontological fate andhave thus equated the fall with creation.The simple survival impulse may begrounded in our created nature. But weare considering, not the survival im-pulse, but the tendency to consider our-selves whenever we rise to survey thewhole human situation. We will under-stand the nature of this universal in-clination if we note that it expresses it-self on many levels, so that its uni-versality does not indicate a uniformityin human behavior. It expresses itself

in the action of the. deserter, whoseself-concern tempts him to evade therisks of War. But it is also revealed inthe attitude of the brave soldier whomay, upon enlistment ih the Army,anxiously speculate on the possibility ofat ta ining officer rank. A person may bethoroughly "devoted" to a cause, acommunity, or a creative relationship,and yet he may, within terms of thatdevotion, express his final concern forhis own prestige or power or security.This bondage of the will to the interes tsof the self is what is meant by the"bondage of the will" in Christiantheory. Ther e is a significant confusionin regard to this conception, well illus-trated in the debate between Lutherand Erasmus on the freedom and thebondage of the will. Erasmus, in com-mon with Renaissance thought, con-ceived of the freedom of the will asthe freedom of the self over its im-pulses. The Reformation, on the otheriland, defined the bondage of the willas the bondage of the self to its self,from which bon dage there could beemancipation only by "grace" and notby the strength of one's willing.

Self-LoveI F anyone therefore will not learn from Christianity to love himself in theright way, then neither can he love his neighbor . . . To love one's self inthe right way and to love one's neighbor are absolutely analagous concepts; areat bottom one and the same . . . Hence the law is, 'You shall love yourself asyou love your neighbor when you love him as yourself.'--SoRB~ KIERKE6AAI~

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Niebuhr - Dialogue between the will and conscience of the self