Augustines teachings on human nature Flashcards
how did Augustine characterize human nature pre-Lapsarian?
-naturally inclined toward goodness
-humans living in perfect harmony
-genuine friendship between humans and God
-human free will is perfectly balanced
-humans are perfectly rational
-humans lived in pure happiness
How did Augustine characterize human nature post-lapsarian?
-irretrievably damaged by the fall
-naturally inclined toward sin
-humans have a divided will
-a battle between cupiditas (selfless love) and cupiditas (self-love)
-never deserving of God’s grace
-incapable of being truly good and reaching sumum bonum
- exiled relationship with God
what is original sin?
the tendency to evil supposedly innate in all human beings, held to be inherited from Adam as a consequence of the Fall.
How is origional sin passed on?
Through sexual intercourse.
Original sin is “seminally present in the loins of Adam”
Why is original sin passed on through sexual intercourse?
Because sex is a lustful act’.
Baptism cleanses people of original sin.
what was sex like pre-fall according to Augustine?
Sex was purely rational
“be fruitful and multiply”
No shame “gods image”
What was sex like post-fall according to Augustine?
Driven by concupiscence (lust)
What is the Genesis 3 account?
-documents the fall of mankind
-represents the misuse of free will
-Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil
- turning point caused by human pride
-Humans are damaged
Who was St Augustine?
Writing in the 5th century. Christian bishop, converted to Christianity in his early 30s. He lived a promiscuous non-Christian life before
how did Manicheism influence St Augustine?
Manicheism-> Christian dualists sect believed that the world had two powers in it good (God)
x- Augustine later rejected this- there was only one power: God
How did plato influence St Augustine?
Neoplatonism-> Augustine’s view of the soul and its relationship with the body is strongly platonic
What was Augustines relationship with sex like?
in his later writings he makes reference to the powerful psychological effects of sex.
Its clear that he had a high sex drive- he never met women alone-even his own sister- to avoid the effects of lust.
His view of sex in later life is entirely negative.
what does Genesis One describe?
God created the world in six days (humans on the 6th) and rests on the seventh.
What does Genesis 3 describe?
documents the fall of human kind- the original act of disobedience. it represents a misuse of free will, they choose to disobey gods commands.
They eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
What does Genesis Two describe?
Documents the creation of Adam and Eve in some detail.
Adam is created first and the Eve (because Adam is lonely).
What caused the fall according to Augustine?
Human pride.
They desired to posses the knowledge of God.
What is the impact of the fall?
humans are damaged, it marks a fundamental change in human nature, from a state of perfection to an inclination to sin.
It also means that humans can never truly be happy in this earthy life. God is the true source of happiness this hope has been lost because of original sin.
What are the punishments following the fall.
serpent- Condemned to crawl on the ground and be enemy of people
Humans- Banished from the garden and are now mortal.
Women-childbirth will be painful, ruled by husbands, marriage will no longer be about friendship in a pure sense (concordia) but lust in a corrupted sense.
Men- will have to work hard and not be provided for by the garden of evil.
how does origional sin affect the will?
Causes humans to have a divided will (akrasia).
we exist in a constant battle between self love and self less love
what is the meaning of the latin term concordia
a state of friendship unaffected by lust and desire.
what is the meaning of the latin term caritas?
selfless love
what is the meaning of the latin term cupiditas?
self love (selfish love)
what is the meaning of the latin term akrasia?
divided will
what is the meaning of the latin term concupiscence?
lustful desire
what is the double death of humanity?
-the death of genuine friendship between god and humans
-the literal death: becoming mortal
