Greed, Envy, and Gluttony
The vices of greed, envy, and gluttony are named as three of the ‘deadly sins’ in the Christian tradition. All are more specific instances of what ‘free riding’ looks like by individuals in a community. Evolutionary psychology introduced the concept of ‘free riding’ as a problem that arises in a cooperative community. This chapter will focus most attention on greed or avarice understood as taking more than is needed. The chapter will explore key theological and biblical issues related to greed and discuss how the perception of the vice has changed through time. Moreover, the chapter will briefly explore envy, the desire for the goods of another, before moving to gluttony, which is self-indulgence related to food. In the classic tradition, gluttony included alcoholic drink and negatively impacted the body, but it also has wider implications for the community. The chapter will end by discussing how evolutionary, psychological, and medical theories for the origins of these vices compare with theological interpretations.