augustine and human nature

Question 1

akrasia

Answer 1

weakened will
lack of self control, acting against ones better judgement

Question 1

tabula rasa

Answer 1

clean slate - no human ideas imprinted on

Question 2

name for perfect human friendship

Answer 2

concordia

Question 3

concupiscence

Answer 3

strong sexual desire /lust

Question 4

what first drew augustine to christianity - what did he hear and pick up

Answer 4

religious experience where he heard someone instruct him to take and read st pauls letters

Question 5

word for strong sexual desire and lust where the desire overpowers reason

Answer 5

concupiscience

Question 6

how did the relationship change pre lapsarian to post

Answer 6

before sex was purely rational with no desire but fall meant they now had a sex drive and desires

Question 7

· “What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (St Paul) explain the relevance

Answer 7

weakened will due to the fall
- uncontrolled desires and appetites

Question 8

what two experineces in augustines life inspired him on his writings about weakened will

Answer 8

• stealing a pear when he was a child
• sexual desires

Question 9

double death def

Answer 9

death of friendship between man and God
death of our immortality as a punishment

Question 10

summum bonum def

Answer 10

greatest good can only be reached through God, unprecedented because it resulted in God sacrificing his only son, Jesus

Question 11

what term is this describing
‘greatest good can only be reached through God, unprecedented because it resulted in God sacrificing his only son, Jesus’

Answer 11

summum bonum

Question 12

jean-jaqcues rousseau on human nature

Answer 12

humans are essentially generous and act differently when the situation causes them to.

Question 13

who says ‘man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.’

Answer 13

jean-jaqcues rousseau

Question 14

thomas hobbes on human nature

Answer 14

• selfish and brutish.
• the purpose of life is to conquer out brutish nature and create just and fair societies.

Question 15

what is a modern interpretation of the fall

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Freud on human nature

Answer 16

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)

Question 17

what does dawkins think christianity is obsessed with

Answer 17

guilt, sin, and repressed sexuality

Question 18

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?”

Answer 18

richard dawkins

Question 19

who talks about the humanitarian principle

Answer 19

stephen pinker

Question 20

what is the humanitarian principle

Answer 20

humans get on better when each persons interests are taken into account

Question 21

3 basic strengths of augustine

Answer 21

• all cultures do evil such as war, murder, theft etc
• all humans are driven by desires
• often torn by diff desires

Question 22

why can augustines view be seen as outdated (3)

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

why does jesus’ death seem pointless if augustine is correct

Answer 23

he died for our sins so if we still have original sin what is the point

Question 24

how is. original sin passed on

Answer 24

seminally present in loins of adam

Question 25

mass damnata

Answer 25

mass of the damned

Question 26

what does genetic evolution suggest

Answer 26

that we cannot have evolved from just 2 people - disproved augustines original sin theory

Question 27

how can hick respond to criticisms of augustine due to evolution

Answer 27

epistemic distance

Question 28

how can augustines evidence still be seen as valid

Answer 28

from observation - stealing the pear

Question 29

Pelagius says augustines views reflect his society not human nature
expand

Answer 29

• we are rasied to be succespitible to evil from a corrupted childhood
  ‘educated in evil’
• moral behaviour has improved over time

Question 30

if moral behaviour has improved over time what does this suggest about augustines theory

Answer 30

it is incorrect since his theory is most likely just accurate for his time period
- must not have irresistable temptation to sin

Question 31

what saves humans and allows them into heaven

Answer 31

grace

Question 32

what does st paul say about grace that infleunced augustine

Answer 32

it is something we cannot take credit for earning and is something god needs to grant

Question 33

double predestination def

Answer 33

heaven is predestined for some, hell for others

Question 34

what can grant a gift of grace

Answer 34

genuine perserving faith in christ

Question 35

what is an exclusivist view augustine holds

Answer 35

limited election

Question 36

pelagious on predestination - chain of reaosning

Answer 36

• 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

Question 37

what does pelagious mean when he says predestination goes against biblical theme of j—- and p——

Answer 37

jutdgement and punishment
- for this to happen we would need free will and no coercion from original sin

Question 38

how does augustine respond to arguments that god is omnibenvolent for original sin

Answer 38

not gods fault but adams !!
- a factual consequnece of what he did
- all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth (bible)

Question 39

quote from bible for god being merciful

Answer 39

all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth

Question 40

what would augustine say about child cancer, and what is a response to this

Answer 40

gods justice for a child to get cancer and so must be omnibenevloent

• this is just a 21st century hippie perspective on love

Question 41

why does pelagius think humans being innately sinful is ridiculous

Answer 41

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

Question 42

evaluative scholars name that begins with a p

Answer 42

pelagius

Question 43

pelagious: god commands moral action so we must be capable of it so no original sin

augustines response

Answer 43

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