Augustines Teachings On Human Nature

Question 1

Cupiditas

Answer 1

Selfish love, lust

Question 2

Cavitas

Answer 2

Generous love

Question 3

Pre and post lapsarian

Answer 3

Before and after the fall

Question 4

Concupiscence

Answer 4

Humanity’s inclination to sun and to be influenced by lust, desires and selfishness

Question 5

Concordia

Answer 5

The easy, comfortable relationship of friends

Question 6

Grace

Answer 6

God’s free undeserved love for humanity, shown by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross

Question 7

The fall

Answer 7

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God (Genesis 3) by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

Question 8

Original sin

Answer 8

Human nature is corrupt and everyone has a tendency to sin; it is inherited (all were seminally present in adam)

Question 9

Sin

Answer 9

Disobeying the will and commands of God

Question 10

Will

Answer 10

Part of human nature, determines choice

Question 11

Akrasia

Answer 11

Weakness of the will

Question 12

Summum bonum

Answer 12

Highest good

Question 13

Humanitarian principle

Answer 13

Taking into account the interests of others - this doesn’t require Gods grace (S Pinker)

Question 14

Pre-destination

Answer 14

The idea that God chooses and guides some people to eternal salvation

Question 15

Pre lapsarian

Answer 15

Before the fall

Question 16

Post lapsarian

Answer 16

After the fall

Question 17

Pre lapsarian life

Answer 17

Adam and Eve enjoyed harmony in relationship with God

Cupiditas and Caritas were in harmony

Augustine valued Concordia

Question 18

Leaders in pre lapsarian

Answer 18

Shepherds or guides

Question 19

What happens at the fall

Answer 19

The first sin of Adam and Eve

The fall turns the God Given order seen in Eden and Cupiditas separates from Caritas

Question 20

What happens to will and love

Answer 20

Cupiditas takes control

The will is Romans 7 ‘half wounded and divided’

Question 21

Post lapsarian human nature

Answer 21

Becomes tainted and corrupt, known as original sin

Power, money cravings

Question 22

How is original sin continuing

Answer 22

Passed on via sex, every human is born in sun

Inherited disease

Question 23

Do humans still have free will?

Answer 23

Yes however the scales are faulty and evil is always more tempting - bias towards evil

Question 24

What cure is there for original sin?

Answer 24

Gods grace

Question 25

Social structure due to original sin

Answer 25

Lack of stability and corruption in all human societies Forceful political authority otherwise sinful nature would rule

Question 26

Some would argue Augustine’s views are

Answer 26

Pessimistic

Question 27

Gods grace example

Answer 27

Jesus, gift of his son to remove the guilt and punishment from original sin

Question 28

Some would argue however that Augustine’s views are

Answer 28

Optimistic He emphasises Gods undeserved grace, God has gone to human levels to allow salvation to be available through Jesus

Question 29

Problems with the fall, original sin

Answer 29

What if the fall was not a historical event Genesis can be a myth and instead be a symbol, contains truths. Symbolic moment when a person first realised their situation and begins their spiritual journey

Question 30

Evolutionary critiques of the fall

Answer 30

Evolved from lower animal forms which did not have the capacity for consciousness to rebel against a God

Question 31

Dawkins critiques

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Augustine on body/soul

Answer 32

There is more to humans than just a body

Question 33

Humans can never be morally good critiques

Answer 33

Why bother trying to be good Could god of made humans more Able to resist, questions gods omnipotence and omnibenevolence

Question 34

What did Pelagius say about human nature

Answer 34

It’s not flawed, it must be theoretically possible for people to be good

Question 35

J Rousseau on human nature

Answer 35

‘Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains’ Humans are generous and only act otherwise dependant on the situation Break these chains by appreciating others. Human nature is naturally good

Question 36

Steven Pinker supporting Rousseau

Answer 36

Humanitarian principle. Humans get on better when taking into account the interest of others

Question 37

John Paul Satre

Answer 37

‘there is no human nature’

Question 38

Supporters of Augustine’s view of human nature

Answer 38

T Hobbes Reinhold Niebuhr Second Vatican Council

Question 39

T Hobbes on human nature

Answer 39

Naturally humans are animal like and selfish, using reason to cooperate makes life tolerable

Question 40

Reinhold Niebuhr

Answer 40

Inner will is defeated by egoism and self interest

Question 41

Second Vatican Council

Answer 41

Human beings being split between good and evil