intro Flashcards

1
Q

who was Augustine

what did he teach

A

Augustine was a key influence in Christian thought and taught about original sin, which is a state that everyone is born with, with the inclination to sin and to turn away from God.

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2
Q

what is Augustine’s teaching on original sin based on

A

the fall
this is in Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating the fruit he told them not to eat. By doing this they turned against God and brought sin on humanity. Since original sin is a state that we are in and not what we do, it means that we are not able to be ‘cured’ from original sin by our own merits.

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3
Q

quote that proves we have original sin from conception

A

Psalm 51 ‘surely I was sinful before I was born, sinful from when my mother conceived me’. This is important because it shows that original sin isn’t something that we gain during our lifetime, but something we have.

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4
Q

in Christianity how do they believe we can be saved

th cure to original sin

A

by the grace of God when he sent Jesus. This would make
sense if the biblical references of Jesus are correct, as otherwise there is no reason why Jesus came. He was sent to close the gap between God and his people, caused by Adam and Eve, and passed on through intercourse to the rest of humanity.

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5
Q

is the cure for original sin convincing

A

yes because it is known that Jesus was a real person and in the bible he comes to forgive our sins, closing the gap between God and his people.

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6
Q

weakness 1

don’t take the story literal

A

the whole of augustines thought is based on the genesis story of the fall,but many ppl believe this is not literal, historic account. if the genesis stories are instead understood to be a mythical, pictorial way of expressing truths about humanity, then it might make less sense to talk about ‘before the fall’ and ‘after the fall’, even if the ideas connected with the human inclination to disobey god still have value.

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7
Q

counter argument to the weakness of taking the genesis literally

A

However, though it may not be taken literally, from it we can understand human nature and our inclination to be sinful. This is convincing as it is something that you can observe in everyday life. People can be selfish and ruthless and unloving.

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8
Q

One problem with Augustine’s teaching on original sin is

not literal

A

that it is talking about the story of Genesis and takes it literally. Since there is no scientific evidence that the story of the fall in Genesis is historical, it means that we may not be able to take the story literally.

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9
Q

why is his teaching seen as convincing

A

because not only has it been extremely influential, especially for philosophy of human nature, but because it is entirely realistic in the recognition of human imperfection. Augustine used his own experiences to highlight weaknesses in human nature; it is arguable that in doing so, and in identifying that humans are fundamentally flawed, Augustine showed how humans can make moral progress and develop a harmonious society.

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10
Q

hobbes agrees with the argument that ppl are selfish so shows that we have flaws

A

he argued that humans are by nature selfish and only work together when it is in their own interests, which is synonymous with Augustine’s argument that humans are driven by Cupiditas and selfish desires.

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11
Q

weakness not convincing because it focus too much on religion

A

can be seen to focus too stringently on religion. Augustine’s 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 literally nor historically accurate, atheists, or those who believe in evolution and natural selection. For those who do accept the Genesis story, it forces them to recognise themselves as innate sinners.

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12
Q

Locke argument to augustines theory of everyone being born with sin

A

He argued for tabula rasa, asserting that babies are born with a ‘blank slate’ and are able to make free, uninfluenced decisions. This view is also more easily reconciled with the modern Christian theological view of a good, loving God attributing to a benevolent universe, than Augustine’s focus on sin and condemnation.

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13
Q

weakness two

sexual desire is healthy

A

Augustine’s focus on concupiscence and sin arguably renders his teaching not only unconvincing but also repressive. Many would argue that sexual desire is a healthy aspect of our human nature, and should not be suppressed. It displays sexuality as impure and shameful.

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14
Q

weakness 2 part 1
other religions support sexual relationships
he puts Christianity at odds with other religion

A

his argument puts Christianity at odds with other religious belief systems which celebrate sexual relationships, for example Judaism and Hinduism which celebrate sexual relationships in the context of marriage. One may argue that sexuality is a fundamental aspect of human nature; it is not a distraction from God but a necessary facet of humanity and pertaining to sexual desire does not make one innately sinful.

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15
Q

weakness

what does Rousseau argue

A

he reasoned that people are generally good, that they want to defend the weak and are egalitarian, they are not intrinsically sinful as viewed by Augustine.

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16
Q

who was Augustine heavily influenced by

his teaching about lust and sinful world

A

Plotinus, who saw evil not as a substance but instead as the absence of good, with God Himself being the Summon Bonum: the ultimate Form of Good. Thus, Augustine theorised that before The Fall, God’s creation was perfectly flawless, where all creatures lived in Concordia and there was no lust, however in turning their backs on the ultimate Form of the Good, Adam and Eve plunged humanity into an imperfect, sinful world.Thus evil occurs as the human misuse of free will; it cannot be from God as He is the ultimate Form of Good.

17
Q

what did Augustine believe humans were driven by

what were the 2 different types of love he identified

A

love. In this, he identified two types of love: Cupiditas; a selfish, impermanent love, often equated with sexual desire, and Caritas; the generous love of others, synonymous with agape, which is an expression of God’s will, with humans being capable of both.

18
Q

what happened to the balance of the 2 type of love after the fall

A

the balance of Caritas and Cupiditas within individuals is no longer maintained, and human nature is essentially self-seeking and sinful.in particular, it is at the mercy of concupiscence; the uncontrollable desire for pleasure, particularly sexual, which distracts one from loving and obeying God.

19
Q

what was the relationship between the body and soul like before the fall

A

it is due to this sinful human nature that led Augustine to view the body and soul as two separate entities. the soul would have been in perfect harmony with the body, but post-Fall the soul’s relationship to the body is now unbalanced and uncontrolled.

20
Q

how does the soul and body being separate have an effect on a individual

A

post-Fall the soul is self-centred, divided and chases Cupiditas. To exemplify this, Augustine recounted of how he, as a child, stole a pear from a neighbours garden despite not being hungry and having plenty of food in his own home; he stole the pear simply for the pleasure of stealing, thus he chose to follow Cupiditas even though he knew what he was doing was immoral.

21
Q

what did Augustine believe we humans were given by god
how is this thing that god gave us corrupted
how can we be saved from our sin

A

human beings all have the God given ability to reason and recognize morality and immorality. However this has been corrupted by our permanent state of ignorance developed from our Original Sin, influencing us to continually chase Cupiditas; thus we are beyond rescue through our own efforts and can only be saved from our sin by God’s Grace, the generous giving of God’s love found through Jesus.