Naroll's Analysis of Alcohol Problems

Abstract

Raoul Naroll, in his book The Moral Order, emphasized the need for strong social affiliations. Weak social affiliations, which he called weak moralnets, result in alcohol problems and various other types of moral disorders. The author proposes to extend Naroll's explanation by describing a weak moralnet as a component of an intense conflict between an exaggerated desire for self-sufficiency and a frustrated desire for dependency. The intense conflict induces an addictive craving for alcohol because intoxication satisfies both conflicting desires. Strong moralnets prevent and alleviate alcohol problems by counteracting an exaggerated desire for self-sufficiency. A weaker desire for self-sufficiency enables the person to satisfy the desire for dependency.