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Summary AUGUSTINE ON HUMAN NATURE NOTES AND EVALUATION
In-depth, critical and evaluative A01 + A02 notes for the topic Augustine and Human Nature for the Developments in Christian Thought unit for OCR Religious Studies.
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AUGUSTINE ON HUMANNATURE
Humans have potential to do great acts of good and evil, and this can tell us a
great deal about human nature and the purpose of our lives. Augustine had a
theology on why we “will” to sin.
Human potential for Good and Evil
Human beings have the potential to act diametrically different (examples:
Anders Breivik and Maximillian Kolbe)
Rousseau: Argues humans are essentially generous and only act
otherwise when the situation causes them to: “Man is born free, and
everywhere he is in chains”
Hobbes: Argues humans are essentially animal like: “The life of a man,
solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”
Point of life for both is to co-operate and create a better society!
Existentialists: We do not come into existence with any nature; it is up
to us decide the life we choose to live.
Augustine’s Influences
Manichaeism: Dualists who believed that the world is a battlefield of the
light and darkness. Later dismissed as evil is just not doing good
(privation).
Platonism: Some minds can contemplate God and transcend reality, and
soul can find truth. Evil is just a lack of “light” or good. Later dismissed for
its belief in human’s being able to transcend.
Pelagianism: Believed that all humans had the free will to overcome the
OG sin. Augustine dismissed him as a heretic.
Christianity conversion: Started interpreting Old Testament
symbolically.
Augustine’s Interpretation of before the Fall
Adam and Eve lived in Concordia before the fall. They were married as
friends, with sex being secondary. (“There is nothing truly enjoyable
without a friend”)
The will is God-given, created from nothing (ex nihilo). It is us being able
to decide whether to believe in God or reject him.
Will is also love of God, consisting of the two pulling forces of cupiditas
(self-love) and caritas (generous love).
Sex was without lust and totally controlled.
True friendship (as before the Fall) is only available to those who love
Christ first.
Augustine’ Interpretation After the Fall
Pride
Eve disobeyed God and her will of cupiditas pulled her into wanting to be
God, by eating from the Tree of Knowledge. This is Pride.
Pride came into her mind through Satan, who commit the same sin
, It is the fault of human free will “the evil will precedes the evil act”
Pride is the root of all sin
The divided will
Akrasia: Our will of two parts gets distorted; our will is weakened, and we
do the opposite to what we want to do.
St Paul, Romans: “For I do not what I want, but I do the very thing I hate”
Because of their disobedience, humans cannot be truly good, as all
decisions are tainted by the distorted will
Concupiscence
Men can no longer control lust, due to the divided will
It is not the issue of the body, as that was created by God
Augustine and the Original Sin on Human Nature (Post-Laprisian
society)
It is an ontological condition, meaning we are by nature sinful. The Fall
was inevitable.
We are suffering a “double death” by being seminally present in Adam:
the death of a relationship with God and the death we will eventually face
as mortals
We are the end of the relationship between God and man
All sex is tainted by concupiscence, so we are born in sin.
Adam’s sin is evident in our own weakened will; men have spontaneous
sexual reactions
Free will and predestination
Sex drive, ignorance and death are punishments for human rebellion, and
we are fettered by sin due to our weak will
Human beings do not voluntarily choose to sin, but are inevitably prone to
sin whether they will it or not
All humans can do is hope and have faith
Undermines Christian belief as Jesus only died for the sins of a few who
will reach salvation
God’s Grace
Only through God’s love can we restore our relationship with Him
St Paul: “who will rescue me from this body of death”
Caused by Jesus’ sacrifice
The purpose of faith is to recognize the failings of human nature and put
trust in God’s love and Grace
Augustine and Original Sin
Commonly interpreted that the Fall and redemption was not one singular
moment, but something that continues to occur in the individual
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