Augustine on human nature Flashcards
how are his views on women harmful ?
augustine is one of the key influences for the negative framework of gender roles in modern society his contributions resulted in a derogatry view of women.
reuther argued that “augustine is the classical source of this type of patriarchal anthropology” his expression of womens importance in the fall of humanity has formed negative conetations of women and continues to do so. simone de beauvoir believed augustines adds to the idea of man as the normative and 1st principle gender whilst women are the adapted version for procreation. In society beauvoir notes how women are posited as the other by the one who posits themselves as the one. this is a deep view that goes back to augustine.
how are his views on sexuality harmful ?
freuds contrabutions to western views on sex have critisced augutinian teachings - sex is natural and necessary part of developement
sartre- existence proceds essence , sex doesnt define us when we are born and we should be able to choose who we are to be in denial of our freedom is to be in bad faith
dawkins finds the notion of the hall absurd two people deciding our fate is extreme and effecting the control of our will and sexual urges is even more so
sex = pleasure
uta ranke-heinemann suggests augustine is responsible for centuries of guilt and unhealthy relationships with sex he dramatises the fear of sexual pleasure
pagels is critical of augustines equation of original sin with sex as it brings about negative attitudes
what is prelapserian theology A01?
God was perfect so his creations reflected this perfection
Humans were made in the image of God – ‘Imago Dei’ so were rational and autonmous to love God freely
Friendship(concodria) was the most important relationship to Augustine
Adam and Eve were married as friends
There was no lust only sex for procreation in their relationship
They were comfortable walking naked
Augustine proposed that the will has control over the body
Adam can willingly summon an erection
Caritas(generous love) and cupiditas (self-love) work harmoniouslyleading to the love and worship of God
what is the fall?
Adam and eve misused their free will due to ‘libido dominandi’ (lust for power)
Eve is led into sin by the serprent and brings adam, with her
God casts them out of Eden and stations angels with flamingswords to guard the entrance – a symbol of the barrier to Godthat has been created by man’s doing (as opposed to him‘walking in the garden in the cool of the day’)
what are the consequences of the fall?
Theconsequences of The Fallinclude pain in childbirth, lust, theneed to ‘toil’ (work hard) to make a living and the inevitability ofdeath
How is God described walking in Eden before the fall?
‘walking in the garden in the cool of the day’
what are three main changes of life after the fall?
double death
Akasia
humans ontological condition
what are three main changes of life after the fall?
double death
Akasia
humans ontological condition
what is the double death?
Adams defiant will destroys the relationship between God and man.
human mortality
what is akrasia?
We are overcome with concupiscence (lust) and cupiditas
The ideal will is one of caritas (agape)
what is the transmission of sin?
There was a transmission of sin as humans were ‘seminally present’ with Adam when he defied God. Making us inherently sinful Augustine described humans are born a lump of sin or ‘massa peccati’
what is the ontological condition?
Sin is a predicate of human nature
Uncontrolled body mocks the divided will of the body by having spontaneous erections , wet dreams and impotence.
who does st paul say about akrasia in romans ?
’ I do not do what I want , the very thing I hate is what i do’.
What is Gods Grace for Augustine?
the love and mercy of God that allows them to access salvation
can give guidance to christians
cannot be gain on a persons own merit
it is the only thing that can save people from eternal punishment for their sins. human reason or goodworks cannot lead people to enlightenment
how are Augustine’s views on sexuality helpful?
His views on sex matches St Paul who said that the celibate life is ideal but consequences afterthe fall have made it difficult’if they cannot control themselves, it’s better to marry’
Potentiallypracticalfor society as we should be aware oftheconsequences of sex and the harm of it, could prevent adulteryand pre-marital sex.
