Augustine on Human nature 1 Flashcards
Introduction
Augustine’s teachings postulate human nature as basically evil. He taught in his book Confessions original sin, which is a state that everyone is born with, with the inclination to sin and turn away from God. He is despised by some who see him as having an archaic and morbid view of the human nature in comparison to the optimistic thought of the enlightenment. However, by others his teaching is seen as providing a realistic assessment of the human nature.
After considering Augustine’s teachings and a number of alternatives it is clear that Augustine’s assumption of human nature is defensibly pessimistic.
Before the Fall
Augustine centers his teachings mainly on Genesis 2-3 and possibly before the fall speaks of positive terms of human nature. Human will is god given and is reflective of the imagio dei (the image of God). Moreover the free will comes with the ability to ethier act in selfish love (cupidas) or selfless love (cartias). However, these two loves are in perfect harmony with one another and thus enables humans (Adam and Eve) to live in perfect friendship with one another and God. Within this context, sexual love can be seen as pure and without lust.
Significantly, for Augustine, in relation to the charge of pessimism, friendship and love are not entirely destroyed in the fall, although relationships are made complicated and strained, which suggests not an entirely pessimistic view of human nature.
Before the fall - literal?
-Even if cannot be proven to be literally true when the fall is taken on a symbolic level Augustine’s teachings are still wholly relevant as we have a desire to put ourselves first over God in the Darwinian principal survival of the Fittest.
After the fall / our seduction into evil
The disobedience of Adam and Eve, which is associated with their pride to be like God, demonstrates the human use of free will used to turn away from God towards evil. A distinction can be made here from a Manichean form of Platonic thought whereby it is the evil body that negatively overcomes the will. Augustine argues that because the will has been used for evil it causes the will to become divided and cartias and cupidas are no longer in harmony. This is exemplified in Paul Romans 7 where he describes how the desire to do good is overcome by the desire to do evil. Furthermore, Augustine explicitly spells out the implications of the divided will by focussing on the evil desires that become part of human nature (concupiscience). Humans are now drawn towards lust and greed and this sin is passed through procreation. Some may argue that this postulates a highly negative view of human nature.
How is Paul Romans supported
-Yet some would argue has been accentuated throughout history with the corruption of the Catholic Church etc
Augustine on Gods grace
However, despite Augustine even in a non-religious view and the fall taken on a symbolic level, it perhaps for the atheist becomes unconvincing when Augustine claims that humans can only be saved through God’s grace. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Moreover Augustine potentially becomes more unrealistic when he claims that only some are predestined to be saved (The Elect) whereas the rest are left to suffer as it clearly goes against Gods perfect nature of being omnibenevolent.
Augustine on Gods grace - disadvantage to the aetheist
Just because It cannot be proven does not mean that it is meaningless – Karl Popper (impossible to verify everything) and if God is necessary whilst we as Augustine claims are fallible how can we disprove what may be blatantly true, don’t know enough about Gds nature
Hick’s eschatological verification in the parable of the ‘Celestial city’ after death we will be able to verify God’s existence
In principle you could verify religion as if in the future the statement could be verified and meaningful then it should not be treated as meaningless in the present
Counter to Hick
Hick’s eschatological verification could prove anything i.e., a monster eating our souls after death
Why is the counter to Hick false
But maybe that’s where faith comes in – Wager argument better to believe than not.
-Consequences of infinitely defying God’s existence could damn us even more
Augustine God’s grace - optimistic?
Yet, Augustine for some may be optimistic as he offers the solution that the divided will can be restored through God’s grace. That is for those in Christ, sin can be overcome. Indeed, the work of Christ does this in that Christ takes the consequences of sin into his own body. But even though this does provide an optimistic view of human nature, it is only those who are predestined (chosen by God who are called the elect) that can have their will restored, whilst the rest are left to suffer in sin. Yet to say this is pessimistic is to undermine God’s sovereignty and his ability to decide. Indeed, even though not everyone will be saved from sin, it is through God’s omnibenevolence that a few humans do, which is arguably optimistic as we are not all eternally left to suffer.
Pelagius
However a contemporary to Augustine named Pelagius criticised Augustine for being too pessimistic about human nature. Pelagius insisted that the fall does not destroy the human potential to become good. Indeed, humans not only have the potential, but also the requirement to be good.
Pelagius disadvantage
Yet this is a weak criticism as it is misleading.
lessens the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as he would no longer be dying with the intention to allow some people to be saved from sin and their will to be restored.
Moreover, Pelagius also ignores the vast amount of sin that can be empirically observed within society. Augustine could argue with his own experience, written in his book Confessions, of when he stole for the pleasure of sinning.
Moreover the emphasis on a human to have a requirement to be good could lead to dictatorial systems that emphasise what they perceive is best for morality, which takes the emphasis away from God. Clearly, Augustine’s views demonstrate his pessimistic view as rightful in his assertion about human nature and does not undermine
Pinker
Additionally, the Humanitarian principle tries to disprove Augustine. Pinker argues that humans become good simply by prioritizing the interests of others
Pinker disadvantages
throughout history, for example, the crucifixions of hundreds of rebel slaves along the Via Appia or more recently the boiling of nuns in hot tar in 1900s Russia. Niebuhr suggests that sin is a societal sickness as much as an individual one, which is strengthened when one considers the ills of certain institutions within the world, as seen in the accounts of sexual abuse in places such as the BBC as well as the more oft referred to the example of the Catholic Church. Certainly, this could be a slight critique of Augustine as it considers that it is the lack of self- critique in societal institutions that allows sin to be such a problem.
Free will quote
‘I affirmed that the evil of mankind has sprung from free choice of the will [PL 44:461]
