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Avarice, or the love of money, is considered a deadly sin in Catholic doctrine. While financial success through hard work is not a sin, unbridled lust for wealth is. Some argue that a moderate level of greed is necessary for capitalism to work. Greed should not be confused with envy or jealousy. Avarice comes from within and those controlled by it are only interested in their own success. Some high-end real estate developers and venture capitalists may be viewed as miserly due to their sole motivation being personal wealth.
Many people have heard the expression “money is the root of all evil,” but the true biblical translation is “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Avarice, often used synonymously with greed, is a morally questionable and all-consuming love of material wealth, even at the expense of personal relationships and spiritual growth. Avarice is considered one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic doctrine.
The idea of amassing a personal fortune through hard work or judicious investment is not generally considered a mortal sin, but if that financial success comes as a result of an unbridled lust for wealth, then it could properly be described as avarice. Money can be a powerful motivating force for many people, but there is usually an internal moral compass that allows a person to accept some level of material security or comfort. A person caught in the grip of greed often ignores this inner moral compass to amass more and more wealth.
There are those who argue that a moderate amount of avarice or greed is required for a capitalist economic system to work as intended. Some participants in a capitalist economy would have to be driven by personal greed or avarice to acquire as much material wealth and power as possible. In this way, others benefit from the need for goods and services created by the super-wealthy classes. In essence, a certain level of greed or avarice may not make a real estate tycoon or high-powered investment banker a great human being, but it can make him a major driving force in a purely capitalist economy.
Greed should not be confused with other sins such as envy or jealousy. People can become jealous or envious of the material success of others, but greed comes from within one’s own desires and priorities. Someone truly controlled by avarice isn’t particularly interested in the relative success or failure of others, as long as those people’s misfortunes have little or no influence on their own “end result.” Some high-end real estate developers or venture capitalists may be viewed by their critics as miserly, since their only motivation for setting up new projects is to acquire further personal wealth, not a philanthropic interest in their fellow human beings.
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