Addiction and Self-Mastery

            In his article, “Addicts, Mythmakers, and Philosophers,” Alan Brody examines the roots and reinforcements behind individuals’ struggles with addiction.  He employs the teachings of Greek philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates to perform an in-depth analysis of why people become and remain addicted to certain habits.  The general population places a taboo on people that succumb to addiction and label them as sinful people who simply give into temptation.  However, it is evident that this is not the case.  Recent studies like those presented by Alan Brody shed new light on the philosophical interpretation of addition, which other researchers had not addressed (Graff 95).

            In the section titled, “Socrates on Self Mastery,” Brody attempts to explain the reason for the continuous nature of one’s addiction.  According to Socrates, “knowledge can provide a means of circumventing temptation’s distorting influence” (Brody).  I agree that being informed about a decision is beneficial in the process of avoiding a particular temptation, a point that needs emphasizing since there is so much information in the world that can possibly mislead people struggling. (Graff 64).  Socrates highlights this notion further, and points out that “knowing how to discern the good leads to doing the good, despite temptation’s deceptions” (Brody).  However, those suffering from addictive tendencies do not have the ability to discern right from wrong.  For example, in Brody’s explanation, Thad’s perceptions of beneficial decisions are skewed (Graff 136).  Brody writes, “he became willing to drink because for some reason he thought it was the best option, in spite of his resolve to remain abstinent” (Brody).  Previously, Thad made the mental and verbal commitment to not drink alcohol.  Due to his mental state and reliance on the substance, something deeply rooted in Thad told him the right decision at that time would be to consume alcohol.

          Brody’s discussion of addiction is important because it sensitizes the general population to the issue of addiction.  There is much more to any addiction than an un-addicted person realizes.  By presenting a thorough analysis of the roots of addiction, Brody appeals to the logic of his audience.  Since it is a controversial topic that most people have been affect by, Brody’s examination of addiction also strongly appeals to his audience’s emotions.  In the section about self-mastery, Brody paints a rather frightening image of a mental state.  The author points out that an addict may choose to avoid his or her addiction, but that “preference [is]…ineffective in preventing [a] relapse” (Brody).  While they rarely admit as much, supporters of the uninformed opposition often take for granted that people can control every part of their mental status (Graff 25).  In fact, they cannot.  This inability to establish personal bounds and stay true to them is not desired—even in the minds of addicts—but it is part of their lives, and the people with whom they interact need to take that into account.

Brody, Alan. "Addicts, Mythmakers and Philosophers." Philosophy Now. Philosophy Now, 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2015.

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say / I Say. 3rd ed. New York: 

W.W. Norton, 2015. Print.