Development of Christian Thought - St Augustine Flashcards
Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s views on human nature
.Born good society bad
.Humans are born good but our society makes us bad
Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s quote for his views on human nature
.’Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains’
Thomas Hobbes’ views on human nature
.Born bad society good
.Humans are animal life and born selfish, human life is brutish. They only act good to make an easy life for them in self-gain or because of what society has in place (police etc)
Thomas Hobbes’ quote for his views on human nature
.’The life of a man is solitary, poor, brutish and short’
Michel Foucault views on human nature
.People in power dictate human nature – we are not born with it – we are taught human nature by the people in charge, conditioned
.Human nature is a product of society
Info on St Augustine’s parents
Mother was Catholic and Dad Pagan
Where and when was St Augustine born?
Born at Tagaste (Algeria) on November 13th, 354
What was the world like when St Augustine was born?
.Born in a time of Roman Empire decline as Christianity was taking root as the official religion
.A time of great political stress and widespread religious anxiety
Where and what did St Augustine study?
Went to Carthage to study Law at 16 but changed course to Rhetoric (a mixture of philosophy, literature and public speaking)
Why did St Augustine start to study philosophy more seriously?
He was impressed with the work of Roman scholars like Cicero so studied philosophy more seriously
What led St Augustine to the Manicheans?
His interest in the problem of Evil and Suffering
Who were the Manicheans and what were their main beliefs?
.Early set of Christians who preached a different understanding of Christianity from the Catholics
.God is not omnipotent, the world is a battlefield of light and dark
.The human soul is under the influence of both light and dark
.Advocate extreme abstinence from all enjoyments of evil (including riches, lust, wine, meat or luxurious houses)
When and where was St Augustine offered a job as a public speaker (orator)?
The imperial court in Milan in 384
Why did At Augustine leave the Manicheans?
.Augustine felt the Manicheans were increasingly superstitious and did not give satisfactory answers to maths and astronomy
Who did St Augustine become interested in in Rome?
Platonists - great admirers of Plato
What were the platonists main belief?
.They took Plato’s ideas and added key elements of religion
.They said the form of good was in fact God (called ‘the One’)
.They said some people could know the One by following certain virtuous practices in the world
.Truth, wisdom and happiness can only be achieved once the soul had separated itself from all material influences through contemplation and study of the One.
.Christ had not died for the sins of the world, but he is an example of an enlightened being who had pure knowledge of the One
Where did At Augustine record his confession?
Recorded his conversion experience in his book Confessions (VII, 12)
What was St Augustine’s book ‘Confessions’? Examples from in it
.A record of sinful acts and deeds he committed in his child hood and adolescence
.The theft of a pear from his neighbour’s garden
.His ‘God-less lust’ during his adolescence where he went to riotous student clubs in Carthage (‘hissing cauldron of lust’)
.A child born out of wedlock with a women he formed a relationship with while completing his studies
.His pride, ambition and arrogance
When was St Augustine Baptised and by who?
.Baptised by Ambrose on Easter 387
When did St Augustine return to Tagaste and what did he do?
.In 388 he returned to Tagaste and established a religious community
When was St Augustine ordained?
391
When and where did St Augustine become a bishop?
.Became a bishop in Hippo in 396
When did St Augustine die, and what did he do up until his death?
.Until 430 he buried himself in priestly work and wrote theological and philosophical books
.Died on August 28 430 while Hippo was under siege
St Augustine views on creation
.God created the world from nothing (ex-nihilo)
Why did St Augustine reject the Greek view on creation?
.He rejected the Greek view as that said the materials needed to create the world were pre-existing
Which Genesis does St Augustine use to explain his views on creation?
Genesis 3
What else, apart from creation, does St Augustine use Genesis 3 to do?
.He takes Genesis 3 as the foundation of his arguments about the fall of humankind and the position humans are in
.Also uses Genesis 3 as a chance to describe his own view on Original Sin and Sexual Relationships
What does Romans 13:13-14 from Confessions teach about St Augustine?
.He learned from his mistakes and this was his turning point
.He is saying instead of doing these things and chasing these materialistic things you should try and live purely through Jesus’ teachings
.Resist from sin
What is Romans 13:13-14?
‘Not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for he flesh, to gratify its desires’
How do Augustine’s sins compare to today’s standards?
.Augustine’s confessed sins would be considered relatively minor by today’s standards
What do some Scholars argue Augustine did with his sins? Why would he do this?
.Some scholars argue that Augustine emphasized his sins to try and show Jesus as more of a redeemer and him as more of a redeemed man
What does Genesis 2 teach about humans and God?
.Humans are created in the image of God (imago dei)
.Man has a personal relationship with God
What does Genesis 2 teach about humans and the environment?
Man is meant to take care of the environment (stewardship)
In Genesis 2, what is meant by die?
You will fall from your state of grace
What does Adam ans Eve in Genesis 2 being naked represent?
Pure and no lustful desire
What does Genesis 2 show about God?
All loving (omni-benevolent)
Describe humans before the fall?
.Pure .Innocent .Instinctual .Stewards .Obedient .Childlike .Perfect .Shameless .Good
Reduce the story of Genesis 2
.God finished creating the world and rested on the seventh day, making it holy
.Lord God made a man from dust
.He created a garden with a tree of life and tree of knowledge
.The man was made to work the garden and look after it
.The man is told he is not allowed to eat from any tree in the garden because he ‘will certainly die’
.God makes a female helper from a rib of the man
.They were both naked and felt no shame
Who does St Augustine think gave humans free will?
God, it was formed alongside all other parts of creation ex nihilo (from nothing)
What does St Augustine believe will is synonymous with?
Love
What are the two types of love?
Cupiditas (self-love)
Caritas (generous love)
What draws a person towards love of God?
A person must love themselves as much as their neighbor
What is Christian love?
Cupiditas + Caritas
Augustine says this is the best expression of the human will
Augustine quote about sex from City of God
‘Then (had there been no sin) the man would have sowed the seed and woman would have conceived the child when their sexual organs had been aroused by the will, at the appropriate time and in the necessary degree, and had not been excited by lust’
What does St Augustine mean about the quote about sex from the City of God
The only reason to have sex is to have a child - pleasure is allowed but secondary to reproductive needs
What could Adam do which shows he was in complete harmony and control of his body?
He could summon an erection at will
Who does Augustine believe is at fault for original sin?
Augustine believes that the evil act was entirely the result of human free will, not Satan’s idea of disobedience
What is Satan described as in revelations?
‘the ancient serpent’
Augustine quote about evil acts and wills
‘the evil will precedes the evil act’
What did Augustine believe was the key quality that led humans to reject their perfect relationship with God?
Pride
What did Adam and Eve eating the apple display?
A desire to be like God, knowing good and evil and having its powers
What does Augustine believe about the creation of Satan?
Satan was originally an angel who through pride fell from grace and tried to rule the earth
St Paul quote (Romans 7:15, 19-20)
‘I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate … For I do the good I want, but the evil I do not want iis what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is not longer I that do it, but sin that swells within me’
Why is Augustine’s notion that evil will precedes the evil act weird?
.Augustine’s notion that the evil will precedes the evil act was an explicit rejection of his prior Manichean and Platonist ideas that is was the body alone that was evil and corrupt
What part of the will was the most important for Augustine? Why?
.For Augustine it was the integrity of the will that was most central particularly because a weakend will was unable to control bodily and natural desires for food and sex
What is Divided will? When do humans gain this?
Consequently humanity after the fall is characterised by a divided will, that despite knowing what good is, humans are continually weakened by desires to do the opposite
What does the St Paul quote from Romans 7:15, 19-20 mean?
‘I don’t understand what I am doing. I am doing bad, but it’s not me, it’s the sin that swells within me, the sin has taken over’
What is concupisence?
Concupiscence: Sexual lust but can also refer to uncontrolled desires of all kinds such as craving food, power and money
What does St AUgustine believe about Concupsence?
Augustine believes that in his fallen state man is no longer able to control his libido and the appetitive or desiring aspect of his soul is completely dominated by concupiscence. Unmoderated both human will and the body crave power, food, money and above all sexual intercourse.
Why couldnt Augustine understand why we had the capability to sin?
Because we were created by such a sweet God
How does Augustine say original sin is passed on?
Through sex, from father to child, as concipisence was present
Does augustine say there is a desire for sex even in mariage?
Yes
What does AUgustine say we have lost due to original sin?
The inability not to sin
What does ‘posse non peccare et mori’ mean? and Where is it seen?
The ability to either sin and die or not sin and die, this is seen through the tree of life, we could have taken from the tree or not
Describe and explain the social contexts of Rome in the time of Augustine
.Optimistic, positive, forward thinking
.Believed in earthly happiness (materialism) and a just society
.They believed people in power got their through their own virtues
.People should show off wealth as a sign of inner virtue
.Striving for perfection
Does Augustine agree with the Roman outlook?
No
What does Augustine believe power breeds?
Corruption
Why does Augustine believe our society will never be truly just?
It is a city of man
What does Libido Dominandi mean?
A desire to dominate, it has come as a result of original sin
What was meritocracy and did Augustine like it?
The belief that those in power were purely in power by good work and efforts
Describe the earthly city
Created by self-love leading to contempt for God
Glorifies itself
Seeks glory and praise from men
Lust for power dominates
People rule not to serve others but for themselves
Describe the city of god
Created by love of God leading to self-mastery (being in control)
Glorifies God
Seeks to praise and glorify men
People serve each other
The rulers rule as servants of the people and seek to guide not to dominate
What is Grace?
God’s unconditional love and mercy
How does Jesus’ life cycle show mercy?
Life - teachings
Death - sacrifice
Resurrection - hope/divinity
What is Summum Bonum?
.The highest most supreme goodness
.A state of eternal happiness which comes from being in the presence of God
What is the goodness of the God of Christianity similar to?
Plato’s form of good
Who is Summum Bonum for?
The highest good is only available for those who set their hearts on God and whom God chooses through his grace
It’s the highest goal a human can hope to achieve but it cannot be earned, it can only be achieved by God’s grace.
What ‘T’ is happiness s on earth?
Temporary
Whats the highest goal a human can achieve?
Summum Bonum
Who was Pelagius?
A christian monk who did not believe in original sin
Who did Pelagius clash with?
Augustine
What do the Pelagians argue?
.Humans have sufficent fre will to overcome personal sin
. Even if Adam had not sinned he would have died
. Adam’s sin only harmed himself and not the human race
. Children are born in the same state as Adam before the fall
. The whole human race neither dies through Adam’s sin or death nor rises again through the resurrection of Jesus
. Even before the coming of Christ there were men who lived without sinning
Who does the church prefer, Augustine or Pelagius?
Augustine, Pelagius got kicked from the church for going against Augustine’s thoughts
What is scientifically wrong with Augustine’s ideas?
Augustine reads Genesis literally – this is not scientifically right
Augustine says we are striving away from perfection, evolution says otherwise
Richards Dawkins calla Augustine’s ideas irrational
What Richard Dawkins Quote shows a moral problem with Augustine’s ideas towards original sin?
Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, ‘What kind of ethical philosophy is it that condemns every child even before it is born, to inherit the sin of a remote ancestor?’
‘The invention of religion was the original sin’ FOR statements
.Society has been controlled by religion for thousands of years
.Religion encourages guilt and shame over things people cannot control
‘The invention of religion was the original sin’ AGAINST statements
.Hitchens focuses on the fundamentalist extreme aspects of religion
.Original sin is a positive concept as it means we appreciate goodness in society and understand why things are not perfect
How can you use evolution to argue against Augustine’s ideas around original sin?
.Goes against Darwin’s theory of evolution to say we started as perfection then had a dramatic decrease
.Evolution shows the universe started as chaos and we’ve been developing continually since, there is no evidence to show this is wrong and Augustine’s account is right
Is evolution a strong argument when it comes to arguing against Augustine’s ideas surrounding original sin?
A strong scientific argument, empirical evidence that evolution is real, which goes against Augustine’s theory
Why does Genesis not being a literal story damage the ideas surrounding original sin put forward by Augustine?
.Science shows that the biblical creation story is not literally true, Adam, Eve and Eden are all myths not historical figures
.This destroys the idea of original sin, because it’s based on a myth, and therefore destroys the idea we can inherit this guilt and punishment
Bishop John Selby Spong quote about Genesis not being true
’The biblical story of the perfect and finished creation from which human beings fell into sin is pre-Darwinian mythology and post-Darwinian nonsense’ – Bishop John Selby Spong
What are Schleiermachers arguments against original sin?
.Friedrich Schleiermacher pointed out there was a logical contradiction in believing in a perfect world that could go wrong
.We were created in the ‘image and likeness of God’ so it should never have gone wrong, but we chose to disobey him which suggests that evil was already thing – and since God created everything he must have created it
Is Scheielermachers argument strong?
.Strong logical argument that shows Augustine’s teachings can’t logically be correct
What are the moral problems put forward to go against Augustine’s ideas around original sin?
.It is morally wrong to accept responsibility, guilt and be punished for a crime committed by someone else
.For example, if your mam committed a crime before you were born, then she died and you were punished for the crime instead it is morally wrong
Are the moral arguments against original sin strong?
Strong moral argument, it is morally wrong to be punished for another’s crime – would an all loving God allow this?
What is an anti-thiest? Give an example of someone who is
– Not only doesn’t believe in God, but goes against the idea completely
Christopher Hitchen
Christopher Hitchens arguments against Original Sin
.It is wrong to say that religion is the sole source of ethics
.It is not morally right to accept someone died for your sins
.You cannot accept responsibility for something you didn’t do
.Original sin is an immoral concept that punishes children that punishes children for things they haven’t done
How can stating that Original sin wasn’t an event but a descripition help argue in favour or original sin?
.Original sin isn’t an event in history, more a description of the way in which each person progresses from a state of innocence to moral knowledge
.We are innocent but as we grow and develop we succumb to temptation
Augustine quote about innocence and growing?
’Many times I lied to my tutor…Can this be the innocence of childhood?’ Confessions Book 1 Chapter 19
Augustine’s ideas around privation
.Augustine said it’s impossible for God to be responsible for Evil, this is because Evil is not a thing itself just a ‘privation’ (absence) of good
.’Privatio Boni’, a lack of good, just how blindness isn’t a thing – just a lack of sight
Privatio boni meaning
Lack of good
Is Augustines ideas around privation a good argument for his original sin ideas?
.Strong argument which counters Schleiermacher, who says God must have created evil, Augustine counters by saying evil isn’t a thing
How do supporters of Augustine argue punishment is justified?
.Supporters of Augustine would argue that the punishment for sin is unjustified, all humans when left to their own devices are selfish, cruel and fail to act in their best interests
.Lust and the sex drive are the sources of power and destructive behaviour, shown in bad societys like the city of Rome and modern day dictatorships
Is the argument that punishment is justified a strong or weak argument for Augustines Original sin ideas?
.Weak argument, not all humans are born selfish or evil, Jean-Jacque Rouseau would say we are born good but society makes us bad – ‘Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains’
Who is Steven Pinker and what does he argue?
Phycologist Steven Pinker, argues against the superstition of Original Sin and that it should be replaced by the humanitarian principle.
What is the humanitarian principle?
.We need to learn to get on with each other because it’s the only way the human race will survive and there are mutual benefits, this is the humanitarian principle
.If we continue to divide ourselves it will just result in more violence
What does pinker say about the age of enlightenment and decline in religion?
.Since the age of enlightenment (around the Victorian time), religion has declined and so peace has grown – the western world has become a better place to live
Is Pinker right in what he says about the western world becoming more peaceful since the decline in religion?
Yes -
Less Sectarian violence (Catholics VS Protestants)
More religious tolerance (more open minded)
No -
WW1 + WW2
KKK
Stalin
Who is Freud and what does he argue?
.An atheist who argued that God was a psychological construction based on an infantile need for a powerful father-figure. This may have been necessary to restrain our violent tendencies in ancient societies but could now be cast aside in favour of reason and science.
What parts of Augustine’s philosophy did Freud agree with?
.Agreed with Augustine that the sexual drive (and the drive towards pleasure) was an essential quality of human behaviour and shaped us deeply
What parts of Augustine’s philosophy did Freud disagree with?
.Freud disagreed that what was needed was guilt and atonement for these sexual drives and urges. In fact unfulfilled desires could lead to mental illness and neurosis in later life. Rather psychotherapy could be used to help channel sexual impulses in a healthy direction.
