augustine on human nature Flashcards
how di cicero infkuence augustine
emphasised reason and rejection of a self indulgent lifestyle
how did manichesim influence augustine
believed the lower half of the body was the evils work, sex was associated he dark and the dark was the essence of evil, mani rejected the old testement and altered the new testement
platos influence on aristotle
one supreme good and eveyrhting else falls short of this 9shown by privatio boni)
who did augustine beef bc they said children werent born with original sin
pelagius
rousseau on human nature
humans are essentially generous until their circumstances make them not so, man is born free and everywhere else he is in chain
hobbes on human nature
humans are brutish and selfish, human lifes purpose is to overcome this and build just society
Augustine on Human Nature
-all born with a propensity to sin
-rebellion against God
-cannot redeem ourselves alone
-filled with lust and desire
Genesis 1:27
God created humanity in His own image
how many writings did Augustine do on Genesis
4
What did Augustine think Genesis outlined
-Gods special relationship with humanity (imago dei)
-stewardship
-God organized and planned world
what are cupiditas and caritas
cupiditas- worldly lustful love
caritas- love pure
the will is driven by cupiditas and caritas
what is pre fall called
pre lapsarian
how does pride impact a harmonious relationship with God post-lapsarian
cupiditas has been separated from caritas
what is akrasia
weakness of the will
what is concupiscence
lust and desire, sexual, power or money
post lapsarian consequences for man
-spontaneous erections
-impotence
-loss of rational control during sexual climax
-wet dreams
what is a condition of the human condition
no one is truly good despite virtous
what is Gods grace
Gods unconditional love, for Augustine this was the only way the relationship between man and God could be rectified
what is internal grace
Gods acts within the human will, forcing good and avoiding evil
strengths of augsutine
-evidence that humans do tend to choose wrong
-sexual desire plays an enourmous part of human life
-some flaws are inherited from our fathers (suggested by Freud maybe idk)
- biblically based
-niebuhr= we need to maintain a focus on sin to avoid neglecting of reponsibility
is aug too pessimistic
-Quakers= each person carries divine light of god
-Sartre= we have freedom to create own natures
NO bc he saw the saving grace of god as a cure
-Kant= no such thing as sin
criticsm on Aug on Genesis
Dawkins- original sin goes against biology, irrational and dangerous
Pinker- Humanitarian Principle, people get on betterbwhen others are considered, this rising belief has changed the world and people since augustines time
