Augustine & Human Nature A02 and Essay Plans

Question 1

Augustine’s view is too pessimistic

Answer 1

• The fall has destroyed human free will- nothing humans can do to overcome original sin
• Augustine’s notion of predestination and human depravity is pessimistic, especially when compared with other Christian interpretations
• Dawkins, deeply pessimistic that evil and sin is as a result of the actions of two people.
• Some of us are predetermined to not be saved and spend eternity in hell
• Sartre- there is no such thing as human nature. We all have the capacity to make our own essence in the choices we make. He encouraged people to make choices in ‘good faith’, that is, to make choice that are genuinely their own. To do the opposite is to allow other people’s expectations of the views of society to affect our choice and by doing so live in ‘bad faith’

Question 2

Augustine’s view is too realistic

Answer 2

-Society should take into account Augustine’s view on Sin (Niebuhr)
-Concupiscence- accounts for why we have destructive impulses that we cannot control.
-Augustine doesn’t deny that we can do good with God’s help- but he also makes it clear that we are in a weakened state with regard to our will.
-Joseph Ratzinger suggests that the more we come to terms with the radical privation in our being, the more realistic about what we are capable of as human beings
‘The eclipse of God leads to a loss of the sense of sin’
-God made us with love and wants us to return to a loving relationship with him. Despite our sin, God has offered Grace and forgiveness through the sacrifice of our only son.

Question 3

“If the fall did not actually happen then the Christian teaching on Human Nature Makes no sense”

Agree

Answer 3

• Dawkins considers it absurd- corruption of the whole of humanity rests on two individuals.
• Evolution also prevents a historical fall from being a reality.- human’s emerged from less sophisticated animals and so couldn’t have rebelled with a primitive conscience.
• Satre- there is no fixed human nature as this would compromise freedom. There is no original sin. The only sin is to live inauthentically.
• The reality of evil- suffering in the world which has its origin in human action or lack of action is something that theists need to explain.
• What if the human race was not ‘seminally present in the loins of Adam’.

Question 4

“If the fall did not actually happen then the Christian teaching on Human Nature Makes no sense”

Disagree

Answer 4

• Concupiscence- accounts for why we have destructive impulses that can be hard to control.
• John Polkinghorne- it is possible to apply an interpretation of the Fall to evolution. One can accept the fall and evolution.
• Polkinghorne- Original Sin entered the world when the first evolved human’s misused their free will.
• Hick- the story of the human fall is a mythological way of describing the present human situation. Human’s are given a certain level of autonomy from their creator in virtue of being created at an epistemic distance from God.
• William Lane Craig- the doctrine of original sin is not essential to the Christian faith, What is essential to the Christian Faith is that all men are sinners and in need of God’s forgiveness and redemption.

Question 5

Critically assess Augustine’s analysis of human nature

Strengths

Answer 5

• For many the fall is to be understood as a spiritual/symbolic journey
• Many see it as being applicable to our own individual lives. Creation/The Fall/ and redemption is therefore not historical.
• The fall therefore may not be a one-off moment, rather it all happens when we ALL decide to reject God.
• Augustine highlights the spiritual element of humanity- this could be that which is open to God.
• Reinhold Niebhur: Sin is needed- reminds humanity that it is irresponsible.

Question 6

Critically assess Augustine’s analysis of human nature

Weaknesses

Answer 6

• Richard Dawkins argues that the Fall and original sin is entirely contrary to evolution. condemning a child before it is born.
• Steven Pinker- the irrational notion of the fall and Sin has damaged society.
• Many people argue of the damaging effect Augustine’s view on sex has had on Christianity.
• Sex traditionally has been seen as bad, and corruptible, rather than natural and loving.
• Freud readdressed this Augustinian understanding and saw sex rather as healthy and natural for humanity- the libido.
• We are driven by concupiscence, but some (Freud) argue that this is natural.
• For Freud similar to Augustine human personality is determined by the environment.
• Marx, Kai Neilsen.