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    My Understnding On Augustine

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    Samuel Nicoloi Reyes
    St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) was a prominent Christian philosopher and theologian. He was born in North Africa to a Christian mother and pagan father. After studying rhetoric, he followed Manichaeism and later Platonism before converting to Christianity. He wrote extensively and influenced Western thought with his writings on theology, philosophy and morality. He viewed God as the source of all truth and goodness, and believed that happiness is found only through a relationship with God.

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    My Understnding On Augustine

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    Samuel Nicoloi Reyes
    21 views6 pages
    St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) was a prominent Christian philosopher and theologian. He was born in North Africa to a Christian mother and pagan father. After studying rhetoric, he followed Manichaeism and later Platonism before converting to Christianity. He wrote extensively and influenced Western thought with his writings on theology, philosophy and morality. He viewed God as the source of all truth and goodness, and believed that happiness is found only through a relationship with God.

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    My understnding on augustine

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    St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) was a prominent Christian philosopher and theologian. He was born in North Africa to a Christian mother and pagan father. After studying rhetoric, he followed Manichaeism and later Platonism before converting to Christianity. He wrote extensively and influenced Western thought with his writings on theology, philosophy and morality. He viewed God as the source of all truth and goodness, and believed that happiness is found only through a relationship with God.

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    21 views6 pages

    My Understnding On Augustine

    Uploaded by

    Samuel Nicoloi Reyes
    St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) was a prominent Christian philosopher and theologian. He was born in North Africa to a Christian mother and pagan father. After studying rhetoric, he followed Manichaeism and later Platonism before converting to Christianity. He wrote extensively and influenced Western thought with his writings on theology, philosophy and morality. He viewed God as the source of all truth and goodness, and believed that happiness is found only through a relationship with God.

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    of 6

    “ST.

    AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO”
    (Nov. 13, 357 – Aug. 28, 430)

     Has a pagan father (Patricius), and a Christian Mother (Monica)


     Studied at Carthage.
     Studied Rhetoric (370)
     Read the famous work of Cicero entitled Hortentius
    o This work influenced Augustine to have passion to know the truth.
     As a student he broke away to Catholic morality
    o Influence of Environment.
    o Having a mistress. (Gave birth to a child named Adeodatus)
     Later on he became a believer of MANICHAENISM

    MANICHAENISM

     A Persian sect founded by Mani


     Rejected the Old Testament and YAHWEH, and is posited Dualism (The
    belief of 2 equally powerful opposing forces)
     Both good and evil are eternal, and the battle between the two are
    reflected in the world.
     Augustine found out that god is evil, that is why he is also evil.
     ORMUZD – god of good.
     AHRIMAN – Evil Principle/ Darkness
     In the case of human being, the SOUL is composed of LIGHT (Good
    Principle). The BODY is composed of MATTER (Evil Principle)

     After studying at Carthage he taught Rhetoric and Grammar in Rome.


     While he was teaching in Rome he became acquainted by Platonism.
    o ENNEADS – Work of Plotinus that was translated to Latin by
    Victorinus.
    o Accepted evil as Privation.
     While he was in Rome (Millan) he heared the sermons of St. Ambrose.
    o Agustine began to realize that SIN PERTAINS AS THE CAUSE OF
    MISUSE OF MAN’S FREEDOM.
     The Neoplatonism helped him to contemplate SPIRITUAL THINGS and
    WISDOM. Christianity helped/taught him to LIVE THAT WISDOM.
     He was aided by his Friends.
    o SIMPLICIANUS – Taught him from Neo-Platonism to Christianity.
    o PONTITIANUS – Taught him the life of St. Anthony of Egypt.
     Once when he was in Rome he heard a child shouting TOLLE LECHE (Take
    and Read), he opened his Bible and read ROMANS 13:12-14

    2 LEVELS OF CONVERSION

    1. INTELLECTUAL CONVERSION
     Gain through Platonism
    2. MORAL CONVERSION
     Gain through St. Ambrose, Simplicianus, and Pontitianus.

     He was baptized by St. Ambrose on 387 (Black Saturday)


     Wrote many books like CONFESSIONS and THE CITY OF GOD

    CONFESSION

     Confessions of sins he has done.


     Confession of Faith and of Praise.

    3 WAYS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE

    1. Purgative Way
     Cleansing Period.
    2. Illuminative Way
     Conversion of the mind
    3. Unitive Way
     Communion with God. (MYSTICISM – Communion of our will and
    mind to God)

    AUGUSTINE’S THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

     Motivated by his desire for Happiness.


     Truth/Happiness = God
     Personal search for truth
     Based on Contra Academicos
     Against Skepticism
    1. Human Knowledge is possible.
     Contradicts the Skeptics
     Human reason is certain of the principle of Non-Contradiction
     A thing cannot be and be at the same time.

    2. Act of doubting itself is a form of certainty

     For the reason who doubts is certain that he doubt.


     “Dupito Ergo Sum” = I doubt therefore I am.
    3. We can also be Certain of Mathematical Truths.
    4. We can also be certain of our existence.
     Si Fallor Sum (I Err therefore I am)

    LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE

    1. Sense Knowledge
     Dependent on the use of Perception, the act of the soul which use
    the organs of senses as instruments.
     Common to Animal and Human.
    2. Contemplation
     Contemplation of the Eternal things.
     Known as “WISDOM”
     Highest level of knowledge.
     Done by mind alone without intervention of Sensation
    3. Rational
     In between Sense and Contemplation.
     The mind judges the corporeal objects according to eternal and
    incorporeal standards.
     Knowledge use senses and wisdom.
     This kind of knowledge is directed toward action.
     For Augustine Sensation is not reliable it is accurate as such – it lies on
    making judgment.

    ELEMENTS ON ACT OF KNOWING

     Object being sensed


     Organ/Senses upon which sensation depends sensation.

    DIVINE ILLUMINATION (From the Book DE MAGISTRO)

     We could only discover eternal truths not by human perseverance and


    capacity but by the help of God.
     Our mind cannot produce this knowledge they are also Contingent,
    Changeable and Temporal.

    AUGUSTINE’S VIEW ON GOD (Proofs for God’s Existence)

    1. Proof from within


     God is the ground of eternal and necessary truths.
    2. Proofs from external/Corporeal World
     Creation gives hints of God’s existence (City of God Bk. 1 Ch.4 V.2)
     The creation reflects God.
    3. Universal Consent
     Even Polytheistic religion believes in a supreme God.
    4. The Souls search for Happiness.
     Our hearts are restless unless it rest in Thee, O God.

    ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

    1. The Perfection of God lies on His being Simple.


    2. The I am who I am of Exodus was explained by Augustine that God is
    being Himself. The Highest Being.
     The Essence of God Exceeds existence.

    VIEWS ON THE CREATED WORLD

    1. Augustine Defended the notion “Creatio ex Nihilo”


    o Against the belief that there is a preexistent matter. (Doctrine
    of Plato about the Demiurge)
    o Against the doctrine of Emanation by Plotinus.
    o Against Negistate Naturae (Necessity of Nature), that God
    created the world out of necessity and not of freewill.
     All things owes their existence to God, they are product of His free
    act and not out of necessity.
    o Genesis – From formless matter which God also created.
     Everything that came from God is good.
    2. Rationes Seminales
     Seminal principles planted by God (in the act of creation) in matter
    itself.
     All species bare the invisible potential power to become what they
    are in the future which is not yet in the present moment.
     Used to solve the problem with the two creation stories (Gen. 1 &
    Ecclesiastes 18:1)
    o Ecclesiastes states the Seminal creation, while Genesis refers
    to actual formal creation.
    o There is a king of Primal Amorphous Matter (Without form)
    which cobtains Rationes Seminales.
    o Rationes Seminales is a guiding principle embedded by God
    to His creation. (God guides the evolution)
    3. Body and Soul
     The soul is a Substance in its own right (Has matter and form)
     Man as a rational soul using a mortal and earthly body. The body is
    used for sensing.
    4. Immortality of the Soul
     The human soul is the principle of Life (Non-contradiction)

    AUGUSTINE’S MORAL PHILOSOPHY

     EUDAIMONIA
     Man is searching for Happiness.
     Happiness can only be found in God, because man was created
    by God.
     “O God, thou hast created us for thyself so that our hearts are
    restless unless it rest in Thee.”
     Against Epicureanism (Happiness is found in pleasure)
     Freewill as the Source of Evil
     Evil is a privation of good.
     THREE KINDS OF EVIL
    1. Metaphysical Evil
     Man is imperfect because only God is perfect.
    2. Physical/ Natural Evil
     Mans nature is not perfect , we lack perfectsion.
    3. Moral Evil
     Man sins because of his freewill.

    PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE

     Philosophia Cordis
     It is by the will that reaches out to God and finally takes
    possession of and enjoys Him. Love as the act of will.
     OBJECTS OF LOVE
    1. Physical Objects
    2. Other Persons
    3. Oneself
    4. God

     DISORDERED LOVE
     The problem does not lies on the object itself, but it lies in
    the manner and expectations of Humans in loving.
     Disorder love produces Pathology (sufferings in terms of
    emotions).
     TWO PRINCIPLES OF LOVE
    1. Love of God and to His laws.
    2. Love of self pleasure and the world.
     Represents the 2 cities (City of God &City of the World)

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