Human Passions: From Classical Greece to the Contemporary Psychology of Passions and the Contribution of Christian Spirituality to the Tradition of the Capital Sins

Abstract

The centrality of passions in the human psyche has attracted recent interest in psychology as a part of the conative domain; furthermore, there is a very important tradition of study on the human passions, which is the Christian tradition of the capital sins. This article aims to present the origins and evolution of the latter tradition through its most influential representatives, with the purpose of understanding human passions in depth. The article is intended to find out commonalities and differences among the most relevant authors in Christian spirituality and the contemporary psychology of passions. In doing so, we are attempting to grasp to what extent the contemporary views are influenced by this Christian tradition. It is also a way to renew the interest in Christian spirituality by going directly to its genuine sources.