augustine and human nature Flashcards
akrasia
weakened will
lack of self control, acting against ones better judgement
tabula rasa
clean slate - no human ideas imprinted on
name for perfect human friendship
concordia
concupiscence
strong sexual desire /lust
what first drew augustine to christianity - what did he hear and pick up
religious experience where he heard someone instruct him to take and read st pauls letters
word for strong sexual desire and lust where the desire overpowers reason
concupiscience
how did the relationship change pre lapsarian to post
before sex was purely rational with no desire but fall meant they now had a sex drive and desires
· “What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (St Paul) explain the relevance
weakened will due to the fall
- uncontrolled desires and appetites
what two experineces in augustines life inspired him on his writings about weakened will
- stealing a pear when he was a child
- sexual desires
double death def
death of friendship between man and God
death of our immortality as a punishment
summum bonum def
greatest good can only be reached through God, unprecedented because it resulted in God sacrificing his only son, Jesus
what term is this describing
‘greatest good can only be reached through God, unprecedented because it resulted in God sacrificing his only son, Jesus’
summum bonum
jean-jaqcues rousseau on human nature
humans are essentially generous and act differently when the situation causes them to.
who says ‘man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.’
jean-jaqcues rousseau
thomas hobbes on human nature
- selfish and brutish.
- the purpose of life is to conquer out brutish nature and create just and fair societies.
what is a modern interpretation of the fall
it is symbolic of the journey everyone takes on earth of rebelling and understanding harsh realities of the world
- our first sin against god and the beginning of our spiritual journey
Freud on human nature
just the result of environment and history, not person
- passed on through culture similar to original sin (could be used to defend symbolic version of the fall)
what does dawkins think christianity is obsessed with
guilt, sin, and repressed sexuality
who says this
“What kind of ethical philosophy is it that condemns every child, even before it is born, to inherit the sin of a remote ancestor?”
richard dawkins
who talks about the humanitarian principle
stephen pinker
what is the humanitarian principle
humans get on better when each persons interests are taken into account
3 basic strengths of augustine
- all cultures do evil such as war, murder, theft etc
- all humans are driven by desires
- often torn by diff desires
why can augustines view be seen as outdated (3)
- have to belive in god to be saved - atheism more popular now
- evolution has disproved his theory
- theory on reporuction is incorrect - thought little people were inside of men
why does jesus’ death seem pointless if augustine is correct
he died for our sins so if we still have original sin what is the point
how is. original sin passed on
seminally present in loins of adam
mass damnata
mass of the damned
what does genetic evolution suggest
that we cannot have evolved from just 2 people - disproved augustines original sin theory
how can hick respond to criticisms of augustine due to evolution
epistemic distance
how can augustines evidence still be seen as valid
from observation - stealing the pear
Pelagius says augustines views reflect his society not human nature
expand
- we are rasied to be succespitible to evil from a corrupted childhood
‘educated in evil’ - moral behaviour has improved over time
if moral behaviour has improved over time what does this suggest about augustines theory
it is incorrect since his theory is most likely just accurate for his time period
- must not have irresistable temptation to sin
what saves humans and allows them into heaven
grace
what does st paul say about grace that infleunced augustine
it is something we cannot take credit for earning and is something god needs to grant
double predestination def
heaven is predestined for some, hell for others
what can grant a gift of grace
genuine perserving faith in christ
what is an exclusivist view augustine holds
limited election
pelagious on predestination - chain of reaosning
- makes punishment unjust as it is unethical if we are unable to avoid evil
- we cannot have any responsibility over our actions if it is due to O/S
- goes against biblical theme of judgement and punishment
what does pelagious mean when he says predestination goes against biblical theme of j—- and p——
jutdgement and punishment
- for this to happen we would need free will and no coercion from original sin
how does augustine respond to arguments that god is omnibenvolent for original sin
not gods fault but adams !!
- a factual consequnece of what he did
- all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth (bible)
quote from bible for god being merciful
all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth
what would augustine say about child cancer, and what is a response to this
gods justice for a child to get cancer and so must be omnibenevloent
- this is just a 21st century hippie perspective on love
why does pelagius think humans being innately sinful is ridiculous
god commands moral action and so we must be capable of it
- why would god make these commands if we have original sin?
- why try to be good - encourages fatalistic attitude
original sin must not inhibit us
evaluative scholars name that begins with a p
pelagius
pelagious: god commands moral action so we must be capable of it so no original sin
augustines response
humans can desire and accomplish good things with help of gods grace
- st paul talks about how god is who works in you to will and fulfill good purposes
