More notes on Augustine

(Originally written November 14, 2006 in Book 11)

Chapter 4: Augustine: The Created Universe

The Two Cities: Heaven and Hell

Augustine's dualism came out very strong here. The two cities:
1) The City of God: the community of the saints
2) The City of Earth: the community of lost souls

The saints are predestined to reign eternally with God. The lost souls are predestined to suffer eternal punishment with the devil.

The two cities exist as one until the final judgment day. Thus, neither is wholly good nor wholly bad.

Augustine conceived hell as both literal and symbolic. A literal hell raises problems like how is a being in fire and not consumed?

Heaven was also literal and symbolic. It was a place where saints' souls and risen bodies were reconciled and a peace of soul indwelled them all.

Augustine defines virtue as "the order of love". "When we love the right objects in the right way we are virtuous, and since the wholly right object is God, virtue merges with religion" (Jones, 104). Understanding this maxim will bring an understanding of all of Augustine's most important insights.

Heaven is not so much a fire material state, it is a possible, present spiritual state.

Heaven is a communion with God through love. Hell is a disorder love, a separation from God.

Augustine regarded Heaven and Hell as literal places and metaphysical states. His dualism here is certainly evident.

The Earthly pilgrimage

Man is living in the earthly city and those who will eventually dwell in the Heavenly City live here as a pilgrim.

Man

Augustine's view of man and his place was determined by two main considerations:
1) His conception of God
2) Reflection of his own life and experience

Augustine faced problems in his conception of man because it was based on a problematic conception of God.

The Human Predicament

Augustine was pessimistic in his view of humanity. Nothing seemed more obvious to him than the misery of the human situation.

If Augustine is correct than his debasing of man was necessary because if man has any intrinsic value then God's complete preeminence destroyed.

Augustine's life was dominated by a sense of hopelessness. He struggled to find redemption through intellect, but even when he reasoned that he could only be saved by the Christian God, he was helpless to achieve that salvation. God had to give it.

Despite his inability to achieve salvation, Augustine felt responsible for his actions.

According to Augustine God had to create a sinful man because a sinless man would be a perfect being, it would be whole and total in reality.

Linehan - This is a gross misrepresentation of Augustine. Jones has completely missed the ball here, painting Augustine as pure Neoplatonic.

Sin is the kind of evil that results from a deficient will.

Augustine's account of sin

Evil did not enter the world, it has always been a part of the created universe.

The entrance of sin into the world, which is evil connected to the will, has something to do with the roles that God assigned Adam, Eve and Satan in the cosmic drama.

There is no efficient cause for an evil will. A will becomes evil when it turns from putting God first to putting something lower first. The lower thing is not evil or bad; it is just the turning that is evil.

The cause of an evil will is a defect.

To seek the deficient cause of a will becoming evil is like looking for darkness.

All evil is a privation. Man's sin was not caused by Satan. Both Satan and Man had a privation in their will and thus, turned from good to evil.

Pride is the root of an evil will. Pride is leaving the true end (God) and making one's self an end.

Augustine's distinction between efficient and deficient causes is critical to his theory. But, it does not stand up to scrutiny.

Another problem with Augustine's account is that even if the evil will is caused by a defect, then how is man responsible for a defect God created?

The worst punishment God has given sinful man is a divided will.

Man's will is not wholly bad since it is corrupted. It still yearns for the good, but it is incapable of achieving it.

The flesh is not evil per se. It is only made evil by a corrupt soul.

Augustine was not an extreme ascetic. The bodily needs were to be taken care of, but not to be lusted after.