1.2 'Augustine view of Human nature is too pessimistic' Flashcards
INTRO
LOA- not pessimistic
1) Initial investigations of Augustine’s view of human nature may suggest its too pessimistic as suggests that moral goodness is an impossible goal for humans.
2) This would be disputed by scholars such as Rousseau and Pelagius, who argue that humans are born with a good moral disposition but are detrimentally affected by society.
3) Others claim that humans are born like a blank slate (tabula rasa, as Locke suggests) or morally neutral. This suggests that moral goodness would not be an impossible goal in theory and Augustine view is not too pessimistic, although it will be questioned whether it is attainable in practice.
4) It will be argued, therefore, that Augustine’s assessment is stronger because, even if humans are inherently tainted and corrupt, Augustine view is too pessimistic however, his views on God’s grace providing a necessary restoration of the human will counter this claim. Lo m
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Augustine view of the originial sin means his view view of human nature is too pessimistic.
However, examples such as High skl massacres appear to support Augustine ‘pessimistic’ view of human nature.
Augustine uses genesis 2-3 and argues that human will is corrupted after the fall. Augustine explains why the human nature is corrupt, and this is due to the view that we are seminally present through Adam, causes inherited imbalance in human nature, which, like faulty scales. Therefore, we tend towards evil rather than good.
The human will once in hamromony, was now divided, so CUPIDITAS overrules CARITAS. This is imbalance of the will. Effectively , free will is now constrained as the will is is weakened by sin.
Augustine uses ROMAN 7 to illustrate his personal struggle with CONCUPISCENCE, where paul described doing what he does not want, and not doing what he does want to do.
Hobbes provides further evidence of the corrupt and the pessimistic view of human nature. Hobbes claimed ‘the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’ These These ideas support Augustine’s initial premise that, since humans are characterised by animal-like and selfish motivation or behaviour, moral goodness is an impossible goal. This clearly highlights how pessimistic Augustine is .
Left to their own devices, selfless principles are often defeated in the internal moral struggle. There seems to be little hope of progress towards higher ideals.
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However, there are other scholars who would dispute with Augustine’s pessimistic view of human nature, arguing it is impossible for human to aspire to and reach moral goodness.
For example, During the pandemic of 2019- many key workers and my doctors came out of retirement to help out. This shows extreme courage and scarficial actions.
This is reinforced by Pelagius argued that human nature is not flawed; sin must be freely chosen rather than inherited and so it must be theoretically possible for people to be good.
Satre, stated ‘existance predeces essence’ Satre here is arguing we are born and determine our own essence or nature through our own choice.
Thus, Augustine view of human nature is too pessimistic and moral goodness is not an impossible goal because humans begin from a position of goodness. Using rational reflection and effort, humans can return to this.
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Nevertheless, as Reinhold Niebuhr suggested, no action can ever be entirely good: the inner will is often defeated by egoism and self-interest. He disagreed with Hobbes about the power of reason and with Rousseau’s belief in moral goodness, arguing this will not bring about a fair and just society.
An example that illustrates this could be the Arab Spring in Egypt; further corruption and injustice followed, rather than the utopia envisaged.
As Augustine and the Second Vatican Council document, the ‘dramatic struggle between good and evil’ that all of us experience appears difficult to overcome. It would appear that cupiditas regularly overrules caritas, as Augustine claimed.
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It can be suggested that Augustine’s personal struggles against sin, particularly lust after having to give up his beloved mistress and child, have influenced his pessimistic view of human nature.
Nevertheless, it can be argued that Augustine does provide hope in the form of God’s grace. Augustine claims, as the ‘Doctor of grace’, that it is possible to find an antidote to the human condition. Humans can aim for the summum bonum, the greatest or highest good because of God’s freely given grace. As humans are unable to achieve salvation through good deeds but only through God’s Grace. Grace is the underserved love for humanity, shown by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, which can remove the guilt and punishment of original sin.
Augustine’s life experiences led him to believe that the only way to be rescued from the body of death (Romans 7) is through God’s grace. The inner struggle may continue throughout life but moral goodness is not an impossible goal if humans accept God’s grace, by faith.Therefore, Augustine’s view of human nature is too pessismistic as with God’s grace we can still be morally good. The Second Vatican Council agreed, suggesting that ‘the Lord Himself came to free and strengthen man, renewing him inwardly’. As Niebuhr comments, the human ego must encounter the divine Absolute (God) – only then will it realise its limitations and possibilities.
However, Pelaguis disagreesas he argues just becuase Adam sinned does not mean we are destinted to follow his example, we are equally capable of following example set by christ and achieve prefection without God’s grace. But, Pelaguis believed we need God to assist to us
Therefore, it appears that Augustine’s views may be used in tandem with those scholars who, at first sight, seem to have a very different starting point. Rousseau and Pelagius, for example, also recognise the difficulties experienced by humans nature due to our sinful nature. But with God’s Grace we still have a chance.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, despite the weaknesses of Augustine’s view of human nature is a rather pessimistic view about the impossibility of any human achieving moral goodness, his views on God’s grace providing a necessary restoration of the human will counter this claim. Perhaps without divine aid, as Hobbes and even Rousseau comment, society entangles and poor attempts at co-operation often fail due to selfishness. Therefore, it would appear that Augustine’s view is the most convincing – that on their own humans may not be able to attain moral goodness, but with God’s help and grace it is not impossible.
