St. Augustine's Philosophy and Theology

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Ch. IV Saint Augustine's Philosophy and Theology

I. Pure Philosophy

"Saint Augustine, at most times, does not occupy himself with pure philosophy, but when he does he shows very great ability" (Russell, 352).

Book XI of Confessions is some of his best pure philosophy. Creation, out of nothing as was taught in the Old Testament, was totally foreign to Greek philosophy. Augustine sought to meld philosophy with the Scriptural account of Genesis.

This exercise led to Augustine asking why creation was created sooner. His answer was because there was no sooner. Time was created when the world was created. God is eternal and outside of time. There is only an eternal present for God.

Augustine concludes that time is purely subjective and exists only in the mind.

II. The City of God

The City of God was Augustine's response to the pagan's blaming Rome being sacked in 410 on the abandonment of the old Roman gods.

Augustine opens up the book to point out that sacks of cities have occurred long before Christianity and the fact that some were saved by hiding in Christian churches that were respected by the Goths shows that rather than being a cause of the destruction, Christianity actually helped soften the blow that came to the city.

The Christians do not have to be troubled by the Sack of Rome because they have a sanctuary in the city of God.

"It is true that God has foreknowledge of our sins, but we do not sin because of His foreknowledge" (Russell, 357).

Augustine esteemed Plato as the best philosopher because he was not materialistic. He argued against the Stoic ban on all passions because Christians can be passionate and be virtuous, the cause of the passion is what is to be considered.

"Platonists are right about God, wrong about gods. They are also wrong in not acknowledging
the Incarnation" (Russell, 358).

There is much in the philosophers to be admired but the knowledge of God is obtained only through Christ.

Augustine was so against lust and sex because lust was required for sex and lust was independent of the will. The will was where virtue came from and thus something that can't be controlled by the will was not something to be praised. It had to be tolerated for necessity, but a truly virtuous life would be one without it and the emotions that are attached to it.

"St. Augustine holds that God divided mankind into the elect and the reprobate, not because of their merits or demerits, but arbitrarily. All alike deserve damnation, and therefore the reprobate have no ground of complaint" (Russell, 362).

"What was influential was the separation of Church and State, with the clear implication that the State could only be part of the City of God by being submissive towards the Church in all religious matters. This has been the doctrine of the Church ever since" (Russell, 362).

III. The Pelagian Controversy

Pelagius was a Welshman who taught free will, questioned the doctrine of original sin and believed that by acting virtuously comes by moral effort. Augustine disagreed with these and had them declared heretical.

Augustine taught that the original sin of Adam was passed down to generation upon generation so that everyone born was deserving of damnation. God chooses of his own free will to save some. No reason is given for why some are saved and others are not. "Damnation proves God's justice; salvation His mercy. Both equally display his Goodness" (Russell, 365).