St Augustine

Who was st Augustine

A saint who was a Prolific writer with 93 formal works, many letters and speeches including discussions of theological matters and one of the earliest known autobiographies 'confessions'

Who was before Augustine

Emperor Constantine who adopted Christianity in AD 312 from under the Rome emperors of Rome who punished Christianity with death

What is Augustine's timeline (AD 354-430)

Born in North Africa (part of Roman Empire), grew up in religious and philosophical pluralism that Constantine established, Augustine's mother Monica was a devout Christian (shaped Augustine's beliefs), went to school even though he was poor. He loved rhetoric (similar to philosophy). He taught in Carthage (present day Tunisia),Rome and Milan

What two groups of people influenced Augustine's ideas

Manichees (the group Augustine followed as a young man) and Plotinus (Neoplatonist)

What did the manichees beleive

World was in cosmic battle of good and evil

People had two different souls: one goo and one evil (constant state of internal struggle)

Soul is part of the kingdom of light but trapped in the kingdom of darkness because of appetites of the body (similar to Plato)

Looked to role models especially to Jesus for guidance

What did Augustine's mother think about the manichees

She didnt like them

What did Plotinus believe

There is only the form of the good (he directly went against manichees views that there is good and evil)

He was negative about the body

People should treat their own characters like a sculptor with a statue, carefully reviewing all angles and chiseling away at parts which are not quite right

What did Augustine realise about evil

It is not a substance but a turning away from goodness

What conclusion did Augustine come to about the manichees

That they were wrong

Why was Augustine not completely happy with the ideas of Plotinus

He questioned that is Plotinus was correct and human intellect could understand the nature of goodness then there would be no need for Jesus and his guidance

Who influenced Augustine's interest in Christianity

The bishop of Milan when he went to go hear his preachings and St Paul's letters to the Romans

What conclusion did Augustine come to from the preachings and St Paul's letters

Humans cannot find truth through reason alone

Need the grace of God

Need to turn away from bodily pleasures in order to concentrate on spiritual life

What did Augustine do at 32

Become a priest and then a bishop

What was Augustine doing at the time of his conversion back to Christianity

He had a mistress whom he lived with and a child but once he converted his mother told him to give up his mistress and marry someone else

What freedoms did Augustine beleive were a barrier to spirituality and should be restricted from them

Fine living and sexual freedom

Did Augustine share Constantine's tolerance of other religious and philosophical views

No he ordered the destruction of non Christian places of worship and also persecuted heretics (those with different views on Christianity to him)

What did Augustine beleive about women

They lead men astray

What was human nature and will like before the fall

-Lived in. Spirit of loving friendship (Concordia - easy, comfortable and understanding relationship) and also in harmony with loving creatures

-God made Adam / eve exactly as he wanted

-made with free will - chief characteristics of being in the image of God

-God commanded them to be 'fruitful and multiply' = enjoy a sexual relationship (but not lust as just was later punishment for eve)

-happy nudists

-'state of perfection'

What was human nature and will like after the fall

-the existence of evenly cannot be from God (who is truly perfect like the form of the good)

-evil is here entirely because of the misuses of human free will

-we are all tainted with sin through Adam and Eve therefore attracted to material goods

-unlike the manichees' idea of good and evil there is only power = God

-there is nothing we can do by our self's to become free from sin we can only be saved by the grace of God

What did Augustine see human will was driven by

Love, which after the fall could pul a person in the right or wrong direction

What does our fallen human nature lead us humans to do

To do wrong

What are the two types of love according to Augustine

Cupiditas and Caritas

What is cupiditas

-love of impermanent, changeable earthy things

-love of self and selfish needs

-people who choose this are ignorant and often unhappy because they have subjected themselves to laws of the world which are the human laws of social life

What is caritas

-Latin equivalent of the Greek word for agape

-generous love of others

-expression of God wills of eternal law

-dispatched through virtues (prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice)

-leads to spiritual happiness

Which love was the love before the fall

Caritas

Which is the love after the fall

Cupiditas

Which love did Augustine like the most

Caritas

What is original sin

The first sin that was committed by humans

What was humanity's sinful nature after the fall

Adam and Eve chose the path of cupiditas and future generations have all inherited original sin, meaning that al humans are sinful by nature and are born that way because they have inherited it from Adam. Now we are all in a state of ignorance, an inevitable consequence of chasing cupiditas. We cannot be helped. Only can be saved from sin by Gods grace through Christ.

How come original sin follows us forever if baptism is meant to make us pure of this original sin and Jesus came back so we could be forgiven for our sins

????

Why is Jesus' sacrifice necessary

Because otherwise we wouldn't be able to achieve goodness

How did Augustine see human will after the fall

As being divided. People still have the God given ability to reason and to recognise right from wrong but they have corrupted this, so that they always inclined to do wrong and be selfish and lustful

What view is completely opposite to Augustine's view of human will after the fall

Aquinas, he believes that natural law, synderesis rules. We are often tempted by bad things but have a natural inclination to do good and avoid evil

What is Augustine and the pear

As a child Augustine stole a pear form someone else's garden. He wasn't hungry or lacking food he just wanted to steal it.

Why did Augustine share his story about the pear

To demonstrate that sin has become part of human nature, something displayed even in children because according to him we are born this way

What is the mercy of concupiscence

Sexual desire, lust for material things which are distractions from loving and obeying God

Why may Augustine have an 'obsession' with lust, materialism and sexual desire

Maybe because he was forced to leave is mistress so he went completely celibate and it is clear that his old mistress is all he can think about

What did he encourage married couples to do who have enough children

To take a vow of celibacy (only have sex to procreate)

How did Augustine remain pure of will

Not allowing women to visit his house, not even his sister

Was Augustine more sympathetic towards women compared to other thinkers of his time

Yes. He did not see woman as weaker or evil because of the sin of Eve as we are all created equal in Gods image

What did Augustine believe about women

Whilst they are not inferior, women do take passive roles in the house

What does Augustine believe about men

That they are decisions makers

Why are women made to take passive roles

It was punishment of eve that 'your desire will be fore your husband, and he will rule over you'

What does Augustine say people have to follow

Political authority and keep focused on the destination which is the city of God.

What is the heavenly society/ecciesta

The perfect way to live

How is the heavenly society/ecciesta achieved

Through the grace of God

What are Augustine's teachings about grace

-the only way for humanity and God to live harmoniously through gods grace

-Gods grace= generous giving of Gods love (even tho we don't deserve it)

-only thing that can save people from eternal punishment for their sinful nature

-rejects that human reason or acts of kindness earn a place in heaven (cannot be earned but elected by God)

-grace of God is found through Jesus

-summon bonum is an ascpet of God seen through such things as evil being lack of goodness - distancing us away from the supreme goodness of God

Is Augustine being very influential especially with his views human nature sin and temptation a strength or a weakness

A strength

Is Augustine being realistic about human temptation by using his own experiences and his own weaknesses to highlight issues a strength or a weakness

Strength

Is Augustine recognising human imperfection leading to moral progression a strength or a weakness

Strength

Who agrees with Augustines view that humans by nature are selfish and only work together for their own interests

Hobbes

What is Augustine's whole argument based on and why is this a weakness

Genesis' fall. It is a weakness because many Christian's believe it is not literal or historically accurate, story with meaning to teach us thing

How does evolution and natural selection show problems with Augustine's argument

Because we evolved to how we are not from animals etc. not many believe that we are punished because of our ancestors

Do Augustine's ideas of a loving and forgiving God match with how we are still being punished for their fall

No its unjust and makes it difficult to reconcile with Augustine's ideas

Is it forgiving to be eternally punished for Adam and Eve's one mistake?

No

is it fair that the only redemption is through God's grace and pre-elected decision?

No

Is there any point trying to good if we dont know what way Gods grace might fall (we dont know if Gods grace will choose u)

?????

Isn't sexual desire healthy and not sinful?

Yes so why is it being seen as something shameful and impure. Sex is about things like trust and compassion not just about the act itself

What does Rousseau argue against Augustine

People in general are good and want to defend the weak and promote societal equality

Proof there's more good in this world than bad

Woman who's child got killed by evil people received so much love support and gifts from strangers proving there's more good in this world than evil

What does Locke argue against original sin being passed down generations because of Adam and Eve

People are born 'tabula rasa' (blank slate) we are not born with sin we are born blank slates with humans