Saturday, February 7, 2015

A Romantic Deformation of Charity

From the writings of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira:
Behind all these approaches is the notion that physical or moral suffering is the only evil in this world. In this view, good is anything that tends to prevent or suppress suffering, and evil is anything that tends to cause or increase it. The good-hearted has a special sensitivity whereby he is easily moved at the sight of any suffering, and defends any and every person who suffers as if he were the victim of an unjust aggression. From this perspective, to love one’s neighbor is to desire that he not suffer; to cause him suffering is always and necessarily the same as to hate him.

Hence, a special psychology is contrived for the benefit of the good-hearted man. All those who show zeal for order, for hierarchy, for the integrity of principles, for the defense of good against the attacks of evil, are heartless people because, in their vigor, they cause suffering to those “poor fellows” who, “in weakness,” slipped and fell.

And if the good-hearted man tolerates all the world’s sinners, it is quite understandable that he will likewise hate the “bad-hearted” man who “makes others suffer.” (Read more.)
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