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philosophy > augustine on human nature > Flashcards

augustine on human nature Flashcards

1
Q

one important point on Augustine’s background

A

-he kept a concubine but he had to give her up for a socially acceptable marriage

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2
Q

how is original sin different from actually sins?

A

because original sin is not just a description of human behaviour but an ontological condition of human existence

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3
Q

how is original sin passed on?

A

through sex. it is contracted, not commited.

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4
Q

why do humans have no control over original sin ?

A
  • it contaminates us from birth

- humans have an innate sinful disposition

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5
Q

because of original sin…

A

there is a lack of stability and communication in all human societies

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6
Q

what did Augustine see original sin as?

A
  • a moment of shift in basic human nature

- no one is truly good, however virtuous they appear to be

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7
Q
  1. Augustine on human nature
A

-human nature is damaged by the fall. It is sinful

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8
Q
  1. Augustine on sin
A

-Humans are incapable of avoiding sin. The will is now such that it has a tendency away from goodness

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9
Q
  1. Augustine on guilt and original sin
A

-Adam’s sin affects all of us. The fall transmits guilt to the whole human race. Human beings are sinful at birth

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10
Q
  1. Augustine on death
A

death is the consequence and punishment for sin

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11
Q
  1. Augustine on Grace
A

Humans cannot do any good deeds apart from God’s grace

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12
Q

introduction

A

issues raised=is original sin inherited? If the Fall and Adam’s sin an historical event?

I am going to be arguing that there are more weaknesses than strengths in Augustine’s teachings of human nature

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13
Q

1st paragraph

A
  • define original sin
  • Augustine’s view on how original sin is inherited
  • this raises the issues of wether original sin is inherited or deliberately chosen.
  • Schleiermacher’s biological error
  • Pelaguis’ view
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14
Q

2nd paragraph

A
  • Part of Augustine’s teachings on human nature is his idea of the human will
  • define human will
  • Supported by Second Vatican Council
  • “Bound by chains” supported by Romans 7
  • This is in contrast to Rousseau’s view
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15
Q

3rd paragraph

A
  • Augustine says that due to the Fall and Adam’s sin we are more likely to do evil than good.
  • but debatable wether the Fall was an historic event
  • Dawkin’s
  • Genesis interpreted as myth
  • Counter with Genesis as a myth shows that the Fall is still relevant today
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16
Q

4th paragraph

A
  • Outline Augustine’s teachings on sex
  • Supported by “most recognise today…”
  • Freud’s supporting view then his opposing view
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17
Q

conclusion

A
  • In conclusion it can be said that there are more weaknesses than strengths with Augustine’s teachings on human nature.
  • This is because it has been scientifically proven that we weren’t all seminally present in Adam, evolutionary biology argues against an historical Fall and modern psychologists such as Freud oppose Augustine’s teachings on sex
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18
Q

paragraph 1

what is original sin?

A
  • Original sin is different from actual sin as it is not just a description of human behaviour but an ontological condition of human existence.
  • Due to original sin we are more likely to do evil than good
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19
Q

paragraph 1

How is original sin passed on?

A
  • Augustine believed that original sin is passed on to all generations through sex and so it contaminates us from birth.
  • This means that we have an innately sinful disposition.
  • However, Augustine’s ideas on original sin raises the issue of wether original sin is inherited or deliberately chosen
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20
Q

Paragraph 1

What is Schleiermacher’s view of original sin?

A
  • In Augustine’s original theodicy he claims that we were all seminally present in Adam do inherit the sinful nature.
  • Schleiermacher would criticise Augustine saying he is making a biological error. It has been scientifically proven that we didn’t all come from one person due to different races.
  • This shows that Augustine’s teachings on original sin are flawed since his ideas on how it is passed on is inaccurate
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21
Q

paragraph 1

what is Pelagius’ view on human nature?

A
  • h would disagree with Augustine’s view that original sin is inherited.
  • He would argue that we become sinners not at birth but instead when we actually sin.
  • We are only responsible for our own sins.
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22
Q

paragraph 2

what is Augustine’s teachings on the human will?

A
  • The human will is made up of Cupiditas(self love) and Caritas (generous love of others)
  • Augustine states that before the Fall man did things out of will, not lust, but after the Fall the human will is now controlled by Cupiditas
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23
Q

paragraph 2

How is the idea of the human will supported by the Seocnd Vatican council

A
  • affirms that “man is split within himself” which supports Augustine’s idea of a divided will.
  • “everyone feels as though he is bound by chains” which can be supported by the idea in Romans 7 that we are a “slave to the law on sin”
  • It can therefore be concluded that Augustine’s idea on humans being selfish and innately sinful is supported by other scholars.
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24
Q

paragraph 2

what is Rousseau’s view?

A
  • “man is born free”
  • disagrees with Augustine’s idea that humans are naturally selfish.
  • Alternatively believes that our purpose is to break these chains by learning to appreciate others
25
Q

paragraph 3

What does Augustine say due to the Fall…?

A
  • Due to the Fall and Adam’s sin we are more likely to do evil than good.
  • However, it is debatable wether the Fall was an historic event or not.
26
Q

paragraph 3

What is Dawkin’s view on wether the Fall was an historical event or not?

A
  • would argue that due to evolution Adam and Eve would have started as lower life forms without consciousness so they wouldn’t have been able to choose right from wrong.
  • This suggest that there wasn’t an historical Fall which consequently weakens Augustine’s teachings on human nature
27
Q

paragraph 3

explain the point the Genesis is usually interpreted as a myth

A
  • but Genesis is usually interpreted as a myth, not a literally account so it wouldn’t matter if there wasn’t a historical Fall
  • The Fall is a symbolic moment in life when humans become aware of their journey towards God.
  • However, if interpreted this way than the Fall is still relevant today
28
Q

paragraph 4

outline Augustine’s different teachings on sex

A
  • part of his teachings on human nature includes concupisence which refers to sexual desire as something bad in the soul that was insuperable from normal human sexual impulses
  • also the idea of Concordia which is the easy, comfortable, relationship of friends that is said to be the case between Adam and Eve
  • Augustine believe that after the Fall humans have sex out of lust not will
29
Q

paragraph 4

what supports Augustine’s pessimistic view of sex ?

A

others who recognise today that misses of sex and relationships can often underline individual and social problems

30
Q

paragraph 4

what is Freud’s supporting view of Augustine’s ideas on sex

A

he recognised that sex is an important and natural aspect of human development

31
Q

paragraph 4

what is Freud’s counter argument to Augustine’s teachings on sex?

A
  • Freud blamed the repression of sexual feelings for personality problems (the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO)
  • Since Freud was a very important psychologist and his work has been incredible influential in areas of psychology and philosophy it shows that Augustine’s negative views has led to unhealthy attitudes and guilt towards sex in the west
32
Q

’ Augustine has been blamed for his negative portray of sex’

support
counter

A

most recognise today that misuse of sex and relationships can often underline individual and sexual problem s

Freud, however, recognised and argues that sex is an important and natural aspect of human development

33
Q

3 problems with Augustine’s argument

A
  • there is no reason to be good if we are already condemned to fail
  • free will ?
  • did God know humans would give into temptation so easily ? Could God have made humans more able to resist
34
Q

Dawkin’s argument against Augustine

A

’ what kind of ethical philosophy is it that condemns ever child, even before it is born, to inherit the sin of a remote ancestor ‘

35
Q

how does the second Vatican council support Augustine ?

A

‘man is split within himself ‘

36
Q

Freud’s argument to support Augustine

A

agrees with the idea that psychological problems can be traced back to an original event in a person’s life. Guilty feelings are expressed

37
Q

argument for an against Augustine’s view

A
  • It is unfair for innocent children to be punished for the mistake of remote ancestors
  • on the other hand, it explains why even the youngest child makes bad choices and is not always good. Original sin explains why humans don’t deserve gods grace
38
Q

give an example to illustrate how the fall affected human relationships

A
  • the fall meant that humans struggle with concupisence (sexual lust) which has resulted in adultery and broken relationships
39
Q

how does this quote from Romans 7:19 support Augustine ‘Doe I do not do the food I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do- this is keep on doing ‘

A
  • how we are more likely to choose the bad over the good

- Augustine said that we have free will but are good and evil are imbalanced - more likely to choose evil

40
Q

why is the summum bonum important for Augstine

A
  • because it reflects Augustine’s emphasis on grace
  • Augustine thought that goodness in this world was temporary, illustrated by his continued experiences of the struggle to do good
  • True goodness, or the summum bonum can only be experiences in gods eternal presence
41
Q

if Genesis is interpreted symbolically, what could original sin represent ?

A

a moment in life when a person first sins

42
Q

Augustine breaks from the ancient philosophers on the…

A
  • teaching of the will, known as akrasia
  • it was previously believed that a weakness of the will was a stage within improving moral development rather than a fix human condition, as Augstine maintained
43
Q

what does Augustine’s teachings on human nature raise questions about ?

A

Gods omnibenevolence

44
Q

when did Augstines views about original sin become less poplar ?

A
  • during the enlightenment, which was a surge in the popularity of reason in philosophy
  • opposing views such as this from Rousseau and Locke
45
Q

whilst Augustine was certain that people could not be morally good by their own efforts, he taught that…

A

reconciliation with God was achievable for those who accepts the gift of gods grace

46
Q

explain gods grace

A
  • Augustine’s solution
  • God reaches out to humans to save them by his free grave, shown in the sacrifice of Jesus , who died on the cross to pay the price for sin
  • this offers a cure for the disease of sin which corrupts human nature
47
Q

Satre against Augustine

A

there is no such things as human nature, environment and culture effect each unique individual

‘there is no human nature ‘

48
Q

real life examples to support Augustine

A
  • high school massacres in America

- Terrorist attacks in Paris and Manchester

49
Q

how does Hobbes support Augustine

A
  • ‘the life of a man, solitary, poor , nasty, brutish and short ‘
  • the lack of moral goodness in humans
50
Q

real life evidence to counter Augustine

A
  • often examples of extreme courage and sacrificial actions in the midst of the most terrible humanitarian disasters, such as the nurse from Glasgow who volunteered during the Ebola crisis
51
Q

pinker against Augustine

A

humans get on better when they take into account the interests of others

52
Q

Niebuhr argument

A
  • suggested that no action can be entirely good, the inner will is often defeated by egotism and self interest
  • disagreed with Hobbes about the power of reason and with Rousseau’s belief in moral goodness, arguing this will not bring about a fair and just society
53
Q

how may Pelagius support Augstine

A
  • because although he emphasise person

a responsibility for carrying out good actions, he beloved that gods grace assists us

54
Q

context on Augstine

A
  • 4th century philosopher

- combined Christian doctrine with Neoplatonism

55
Q

why are Augustine’s teachings problematic ?

A

because they rely on literal interpretations of the Genesis story which, due to the advances in evolutionary science and increasing atheism, arguable make them inapplicable to modern society

56
Q

explain the Genesis story

A
  • Adam and Eve gave into temptation and disobeyed God by eating fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, whilst in the garden of Eden
  • they were born banished from the garden of Eden
57
Q

explain the weakness of Augustine’s argument that it focuses too much in religion

A
  • his entire teaching is based on a creationist belief in Genesis and the biblical accounts, and provides no alternative for those who see the Genesis story as historically accurate , atheists, or those who believe in evolution and natural selection
58
Q

Locke argument against Augustine

A
  • tabula rasa

- babies are born with a blank slate and are able to make free, unifluended decisions

59
Q

for Augustine, why does evil occur as the human misuse of free will

A

because it cannot come form God as he is the highest form of good

philosophy (11 decks)

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