Acedia and Its Discontents

Acedia and Its Discontents: Metaphysical Boredom in an Empire of Desire by RJ Snell, 127 pages

The diabolically active Judge Holden (from Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian) may seem like a strange figure to use as a representative of acedia, the "deadly sin" usually translated as "sloth", but that is exactly what RJ Snell does in the first pages of Acedia and Its Discontents.  His purpose is plain - acedia is not what we think it is.  Sloth is not laziness, but aimlessness, not a lack of energy, but a lack of purpose, a denial of purpose, and ultimately the hatred of any purpose, order, or discipline.

Snell's solution to this empire of depression lies in a renewed understanding of the nature of work.  Good work, as opposed to mere busy-ness, is more than the manipulation of resources in an attempt to satisfy one's desires - it engages with the world, respecting both creation and the exalted human role of co-creator, accepting responsibility instead of fleeing from it.  Good work, as Snell defines it, is essentially contemplative, directed towards transcendental values, focused on the good of creation rather than its usefulness.