Augustine + Human Nature Flashcards
(24 cards)
Who was Augustine influenced by?
By the Manichees who had a dualist view on nature.
What is Akrasia?
Weakness of will
What is Caritas and Cupiditas?
Caritas = Generous love (good)
Cupiditas = Self(-ish) love (bad)
What does Caritas translated too?
Caritas = the Latin equivalent of the Greek word ‘Agape’.
What happened during the Fall?
Genesis 3 = they disobeyed God’s command, breaking the first covenant. Our will subsequently became corrupted.
What was life like before the Fall?
Everything = in harmony. Friendship was the defining state. (Known as Concordia in Latin). Friendship included reproduction, and reproduction was without lust.
What does Concordia mean?
Friendship and harmony
What does Romans 7 say?
“For I do not what I want, but the very thing I hate.”
What was the key question Augustine asked?
“Why do I know what is wrong and still do it?”
What does Concupiscence mean?
Our tendency towards evil and sin, as a result of Original Sin.
What is the example given to show our tendency towards evil?
The Ring of Gyges
Strength and weakness of Augustine’s view of lust:
+ It reflects a 21st century society, sometimes we can be too focused on sexual desires.
- He focuses too heavily on it, many theologians see sex as a healthy part of life.
How does Hobbes view human nature?
He believed that human life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” - society makes us civilised.
How does Rousseau view human nature?
He argued that “man is born free and everywhere he is in chains” - society has messed up, the natural state of a human is inclined towards goodness.
What is original sin?
The state that humans were brought into by the Fall, passed down through reproduction (as a result of lust). This is an idea followed by the Roman Catholic Church.
What is Dawkins response to Augustine’s original sin?
Evolution shows that we are moving towards perfection.
What useful queues about original sin can be found in the Cathecism of the Catholic Church?
“All men are implicated in Adam’s sin.”
“It is a sin ‘contracted’ and not committed.”
What is a double death?
Original sin creates a double death:
1) killing the friendship between God and humans
2) becoming mortal (the ability to die) following the Fall
What is Augustine’s belief about God’s grace?
God’s grace was the only thing that can help us to reach heaven; God elects some people to join him in heaven out of benevolence.
What is the summun bonum?
An eternal happiness only found in the permanent presence of God.
What does Pelagius argue?
- Humans don’t have a flawed nature. Humans aren’t inclined to sin, we have free will and therefore live good, moral lives without God.
- Original sin doesn’t exist.
- He critiques Augustine on punishing innocent babies. It is unjust that God condemn’s humans for something they could not help.
Why might Pleagius’ views be more attractive in the 21st century?
Science suggests that genesis is not true (metaphorical).
What does Hick suggest about human nature?
Life is a process of development: ‘soul-making’.
What is implied if the Fall is seen as symbolic, rather than literal?
When human nature is compared to the summun bonum it seems flawed. Similar to this is the fact we are physical beings, and not God.
