Altruism and Egoism in Extremes and Moderations

The third domain of Resurrexit Spiritus is Eros, where love is a divinely transformative force that can change everything overnight. It is also worthwhile to note here that while the next domain of Logos is the final one, it is an encapsulation of the previous three making Eros something of an ultimate end in reformation through Logos. Eros is the stage where the prodigal son’s reconciliation with his father reveals the profound truth that genuine love is not just some emotion but an ability and a decision to glory in others for what they have become and, most of all, for what they are becoming.

The mastery of Eros’s Altrusim and Egoism in Logos operations is to act in the best interest of the other’s truest self, even when it costs us something, especially materially. This was demonstrated in the loyalty his father showed him, in the willingness to give up that inheritance over to him early. His father knew the extremes would likely push his son into moderation if it didn’t kill him, because of the way he had been raised. The father knew the true value in his son, because he saw his truest self despite the youthful ignorance.

Just as we are not our own, our identities are not found in isolation, alone as individuals, but in the connections we make. The prodigal sons return home is not just about forgiveness or a recognition that love transcends the failures of our past. It is here that the virtues of Temperance and Loyalty play out, with Excellence and Patience, the following virtues, coming to the forefront through those. These virtues, upon their recognition, guide us, sometimes kicking and screaming, toward service and compassion.

Loyalty, arriving in strength through Temperance, is the first taste of a commitment deeper than our selfish agreements we make on material bases. The son went about, in full Hubris and in Envy (Envy introducing the path to internalising sin through the Error aspect of Confusion) [see: sins chart], seeking new connections in the world with his inheritance money given to him by his father, yet outside his father. This is real life and reflective of kinship dynamics in reality, but it is also metaphoric for and directly representative of the dynamics intrinsic to our relationship with God.

Eros domain is marked by the unpredictable changes in community. At its core, Loyalty is a virtue which necessitates stability. Eros, in its development, then is revealed as something of an effort in development towards relationship stability, which is why it so easily and readily shifts the domains of Kratos and Telos below it. Advancement therefore within Eros is about Loyalty finding attachment to others manifesting these other virtues. As reflection of divine LOVE, the more perfected Loyalty will require Morality, Propriety, Awareness, Ethics, and, ultimately, truth itself. The prodigal son’s father does not merely forgive him; he restores him to his place completely within the family.

This act of love is not passive but active, a choice to embrace the sinner, despite their sins, most especially upon demonstration of repentance and progress. It is in this moment of absolute Spirit that we see the fullness of Eros: love is not about any kind of mortal perfection outside of progress, but about reflecting perfection and the divine purpose in progression, as our hearts are conditioned through the processes of the Spirit. Eros is the domain where we learn that love is the foundation of community, and that the greatest good we can do is to love others, most especially as they become and progress, appreciating them all the more for that light we see within. Here is where we recognise the path home.

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