Dispersing the Clouds of Temptation: Turning Away from Weakness of Will and Turning Towards the Sun

In Romans 7:14-25 Paul declares For I do not do the good I want but the evil I do not want is what I do (KJV). St. Pauls statement is a universal truth for all human beings; humans--whether Christians Jews Muslims Buddhists Hindus or atheists--are prone to committing free actions that are not good. Furthermore and irrespective of how we might construe the notion of good (whether as acting in accordance with some religious or spiritual precept or simply doing what is in ones best interest) we often knowingly and freely choose actions that may or in fact do harm us. There is a name given to such actions. We call them weak-willed. Weakness of will or akrasia has perplexed philosophers theologians and laypersons alike for centuries. This book reveals why the idea has caused so much bafflement and consternation for so many. The main thrust of the work however is to illuminate and inspire: Lightbody seeks to demonstrate concretely how and why we are weak-willed. By extracting an alchemical touchstone from Platos middle period philosophy Lightbody in addition reveals how we may transmute harmful appetites into life-edifying passions. Dispersing the Clouds of Temptation reminds us of what philosophy was originally meant to be: high-level conceptual thinking employed in service of real-life problems. Lightbodys tour through the notion of akrasia doesnt just help us understand ourselves better--it helps us become who we are meant to be. --Neal DeRoo Associate Professor of Philosophy Dordt College In this remarkable philosophical work Brian Lightbody achieves two important scholarly aims. He brilliantly shows the central role that emotions both positive and negative play in the human quest of self-transformation and self-approbation. He also brings out forcefully the relevance of Platos dialogues for a better understanding of the bodily conditions of a virtuous good and rational life. --Gabor Csepregi Vice-President (Academic and Research) Saint Boniface University Brian Lightbody is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Brock University located in Saint Catharines Ontario Canada. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on such diverse thinkers as Foucault Nietzsche Haack Marcuse and Husserl in addition to three monographs: Philosophical Genealogy: An Epistemological Reconstruction of Nietzsche and Foucaults Genealogical Method (2 vols.) and The Problem of Naturalism: Analytic Perspectives Continental Virtues.