Three Kinds of Humility
You should guess: the kinds are: metaphysical, moral, and physical. Metaphysical humility is keen awareness of the limitations of human nature. We are at infinite distance away from God, from self-sufficiency, from goodness. We are less perfect than angels. We are born helpless. We are tempted to all sorts of evil. We are natural savages who must struggle our whole lives to become somewhat civilized. Our coming to know things is discursive and not intuitive. And on and on it goes.
Moral humility is the intuition of our faults and shortcomings of character. Our nature is not that of love and light and freedom from all defect. Humility is contingent upon penetrating self-knowledge, because false humility is a sin called by Aquinas “irony,” that is, uncalled for self-depreciation, failing to see your good qualities.
Finally, physical humility acknowledges that our happiness is trivial compared with what it can be when we are filled with the Light in God’s own kingdom. It is worth it to forsake the world for the salvation of your soul.
Posted: November 24th, 2008 under Ethics, Philosophy.