The issue boils down to Niebuhr’s view of sin — and more specifically, his understanding of pride as the most basic way that sin manifests in human life. This view underlies Niebuhr’s contention that human beings are fundamentally egocentric, and that restraining the ego is essential to moral growth. It is also implied in the fact that he makes self-sacrificial love the ideal for which we must strive in our quest for justice.
