Upper Hell: Sins of Incontinence

As we read our way through the first few cantos of Inferno, the seniors discussed these upper region sins -- lust, gluttony, avarice,anger -- and the punishments Dante assigns. This group collectively called the sins of incontinence reflect those urges or bodily desires that stand at the core of man, the animal. After I explain the difference in the modern concept of incontinence with its focus on bladder control undergarments, we try our hand at differentiating the desires that one has based on need and want. When we venture farther into the underworld, those wants will be tied directly into the use of intellect and that is what gives us pause. The lower one descends into this mythical Hell, the more intense thought is required by the sinner in the commissioning of his sin. This logic of splitting Hell into sins based on body and intellect was not new to Dante in 1300; Aristotle used a similar model. And that is exactly the point. Choices have consequences. As we sail past the gluttons today and the greedy tomorrow, I am struck by the relevance of Dante's insight some 700 years after he published this epic. More Hell to come.
So when my friends ask how school is, I can honestly ( at least for the next few weeks) say, it is Hell. What a perfect way to start October!