AUGUSTINE'S TEACHING ON HUMAN NATURE Flashcards
Why can it be said Agustine has a pessimistic view on human nature?
- Humans will always result to sin as they are born with sin
- He believes man loves himself before others and therefore would do bad actions to others to help himself
- Act of rebelllion was resultant of human will which is part of human nature, therefore is negative
Why can it be said Agustine has optimistic view on human nature?
- Humans have free will and therefore have the choice to good instead of wrong, Agustine may think humans want to do right instead of wrong
- There is hope that the divided will can be restored through grace
What is ‘The Fall’?
The moment described in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and were punished by being expelled from the Garden of Eden.
What is Cupiditas and Caritas?
Cupiditas is self love or lust whereas caritas is generous love or love for others.
What is meant by ‘the will as love’ before the fall?
Will is God given and created alongside humans, you may choose to do good or evil. The will is synonymous with love and drived by cupiditas and caritas. These are both necessary elements of will to be able to ultimately love God.
What is meant by ‘sex and friendship’ with will before the fall?
Agustine argued Adam and Eve were married in paradise as friends and would mutually participate with the friendliness of God. God told men and women to reproduce and to ‘fill the earth’ friendship therefore would be involved in reproduction as well as the pleasure of sex. Sex is secondary to friendship, friendship is the highest expression of human existence. Sex should occur without lust and erections can just happen at will.
