The subtitle of the book reflects well the contents. The author wants to go beyond this dichotomy, showing the importance of the philosophical and theological ideas of habit and virtue. He also reflects on the possible causes of the prevalence of addictive behavior in world culture, especially in the more economically developed areas. He sees this behavior as a challenge for the Church, and the success of Alcoholics Anonymous in overcoming addiction as an indication of how the Church can effectively respond.
This brief work ranges widely. The author applies well the resources in Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas to addiction. After this discussion, mostly philosophical, he considers why our society is so susceptible to addiction. This section is persuasive, but not conclusive. It links addiction to moral and spiritual relativism. This does not sufficiently explain, in my opinion, the weakening of family ties, and so neither does it fully explain the phenomenon of addiction. He sees addiction as a reality that the Church has not sufficiently confronted. He argues that the Church must be more aware of sin as a reality affecting everyone’s life. Ignorance of everyone’s inclination to evil contributes to recovering addicts feeling like outsiders. They benefit from fellowship and mutual support, which was a strong point of the early Church, as was an awareness of the universal need of a Redeemer.
It seems that this analysis could be helpful for other types of behavior which are partly medical, but which involve free choices and the formation of habits, such as depression and bipolar disorder. Other personality disorders might be similar. The book does not contain affirmations which are contrary to the Magisterium. It is evident when the author speaks about “the church” that he is not Catholic and is reflecting about communities following the Gospel in some measure. On the other hand, the discussions of virtue and sin seem sound. Also, his suggestions concerning a fuller response on the part of the Church are sensible.
This book could be interesting in the application of the perennial philosophy to issues of ordinary life. Because of the frequency of addiction, it could be helpful, as it greatly clarifies the issues.
J.K. (United States, 2016)