Augustine on Love and God

1
Augustine on Love and God
2
Introduction
3
Introduction

• Aurelius Augustinus (354-430)

4
Introduction

• Fall of Rome

5
Introduction

• Fall of Rome (Divided)

6
Introduction

• Fall of Rome (Attacked)

7
Introduction

• Fall of Rome (Sacked 410 AD)

8
Introduction

• Fall of Rome (Sacked 410 AD)
• Augustine in De Civitate Dei (City of God) tries
  to explain this

9
Introduction

• Salvation Religions

10
Introduction

• Salvation Religions
• Incompetence of Empire

11
Introduction

• Salvation Religions
• Incompetence of Empire
• Oppression of common populace

12
Introduction

• Salvation Religions
• Incompetence of Empire
• Oppression of common populace
• Irrelevance of philosophers ideals and
  recommendations for living

13
Introduction

• Salvation Religions
• Incompetence of Empire
• Oppression of common populace
• Irrelevance of philosophers ideals and
  recommendations for living
• Seek help elsewhere

14
Introduction

• Salvation Religions
• Incompetence of Empire
• Oppression of common populace
• Irrelevance of philosophers ideals and
  recommendations for living
• Seek help elsewhere
• Mithra, Isis, Cybele and Attis, Christ.

15
Introduction

• Salvation Religions
• Incompetence of Empire
• Oppression of common populace
• Irrelevance of philosophers ideals and
  recommendations for living
• Seek help elsewhere
• Mithra, Isis, Cybele and Attis, Christ.
• Constantine accepts Christianity in Empire, 313 AD

16
Introduction

• Jewish Ethics

17
Introduction

• Jewish Ethics
• Follow the Law!

18
Introduction

• Jewish Ethics
• Follow the Law!
• the observance of the
• commandments is not
• conditional on
• understanding them

19
Introduction

• Jewish Ethics
• Follow the Law!
• the observance of the
• commandments is not
• conditional on
• understanding them
• Ten Commandments

20
Introduction

• Christian ethics is normative, and the norms are
  set by known, fixed statements of Law

21
Introduction

• Problem of Evil

22
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• How can there be Evil in the World?

23
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• How can there be Evil in the World?
• Manichaeans Two principles one Good, one Bad

24
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• How can there be Evil in the World?
• Christians God is all-powerful
• God wishes all good things
• Therefore there are all good things.
• But there are also Evil things.
• How?

25
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• How can there be Evil in the World?
• Stoics Evil and Good can only exist together
• Man can reason faultily
• Evils are only apparent, not real.

26
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• How can there be Evil in the World?
• Stoics Evil and Good can only exist together
• Man can reason faultily
• Evils are only apparent, not real.
• Augustine agrees
• he saw every thing that he had made, and,
  behold, it was very good

27
(No Transcript)
28
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• Why do we do wrong?

29
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• Why do we do wrong?
• Original Sin we are naturally prone to be
  naughty

30
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• Why do we do wrong?
• Original Sin we are naturally prone to be
  naughty
• We have Free Will

31
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• Why do we do wrong?
• Original Sin we are naturally prone to be
  naughty
• We have Free Will
• Augustine tells us how he enjoyed sinning he
  once stole some pears, and didnt even eat them.
  Why?

32
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• Why do we do wrong?
• Original Sin we are naturally prone to be
  naughty
• We have Free Will
• Augustine tells us how he enjoyed sinning he
  once stole some pears, and didnt even eat them.
  Why?
• Just to enjoy the freedom of theft!

33
Introduction

• Problem of Evil
• Why do we do wrong?
• Original Sin we are naturally prone to be
  naughty
• We have Free Will
• Augustine tells us how he enjoyed sinning he
  once stole some pears, and didnt even eat them.
  Why?
• Just to enjoy the freedom of theft!
• Discipline the Will! Want what is right!

34
Introduction

• Christians take the Will rather than the Act to
  be the principal carrier of moral value in humans
  

35
The Order of Love
36
The Order of Love

• How should the will be shaped?

37
The Order of Love

• How should the will be shaped?
• Do what it takes to achieve Happiness
  eudaimonia, beatitudo (which is not just
  blessedness)

38
The Order of Love

• How should the will be shaped?
• Do what it takes to achieve Happiness
  eudaimonia, beatitudo (which is not just
  blessedness)
• Contra most pagan philosophers, this is not
  entirely up to the individual

39
The Order of Love

• Immortality is required for happiness

40
The Order of Love

• Immortality is required for happiness
• So accept there is a heaven to reach

41
The Order of Love

• Immortality is required for happiness
• So accept there is a heaven to reach
• Act so as to reach it

42
The Order of Love

• Immortality is required for happiness
• So accept there is a heaven to reach
• Act so as to reach it
• Obey Gods (New Testament) commands

43
The Order of Love

• Immortality is required for happiness
• So accept there is a heaven to reach
• Act so as to reach it
• Obey Gods (New Testament) commands
• Love God above all.
• Love your neighbour as you love yourself.

44
The Order of Love

• Immortality is required for happiness
• So accept there is a heaven to reach
• Act so as to reach it
• Obey Gods (New Testament) commands
• Love God above all
• Love your neighbour as you love yourself
• Isnt this a bit self-interested to be real love?

45
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands

46
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands
• Happiness requires loving right things
• The title happy cannot, in my opinion, belong
  either to him who has not what he loves, whatever
  it may be, or to him who has what he loves if it
  is hurtful, or to him who does not love what he
  has, although it is good in perfection

47
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands
• Happiness requires loving right things
• There is a hierarchy of things
• (According to the Neo-Platonists)

48
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands
• Happiness requires loving right things
• There is a hierarchy of things
• They are of declining changeability

49
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands
• Happiness requires loving right things
• There is a hierarchy of things
• They are of declining changeability
• Love the least changeable
• and most perfect

50
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands
• Happiness requires loving right things
• There is a hierarchy of things
• They are of declining changeability
• Love the least changeable
• and most perfect
• Happiness is in Loving God

51
The Order of Love

• Love can be justified without commands
• Happiness requires loving right things
• There is a hierarchy of things
• They are of declining changeability
• Love the least changeable
• and most perfect
• Happiness is in Loving God
• If we find something which is both superior to
  man, and can be possessed by the man who loves
  it, who can doubt that in seeking for happiness
  man should endeavour to reach that

52
The Order of Love

• Love and the worth of others

53
The Order of Love

• Love and the worth of others
• The hierarchy of things gives their
• absolute value

54
The Order of Love

• Love and the worth of others
• The hierarchy of things gives their
• absolute value
• We tend to use a scale of instrumental values
  determined by advantage to us

55
The Order of Love

• Love and the worth of others
• The hierarchy of things gives their
• absolute value
• We tend to use a scale of instrumental values
  determined by advantage to us
• We are wrong to value ourselves absolutely and
  others instrumentally

56
The Order of Love

• Love and the worth of others
• The hierarchy of things gives their
• absolute value
• We tend to use a scale of instrumental values
  determined by advantage to us
• We are wrong to value ourselves absolutely and
  others instrumentally
• Love others as ourselves

57
The Order of Love

• A virtuous person treats others according to
  their absolute value and loves God above all
• Failure to order your love in this way is a
  failure of will

58
Law and Grace
59
Law and Grace

• Any rational person can become virtuous

60
Law and Grace

• Any rational person can become virtuous
• The Lex Aeterna is the law derivable by reason

61
Law and Grace

• Any rational person can become virtuous
• The Lex Aeterna is the law derivable by reason
• The assistance of God is required to understand
  the Law

62
Law and Grace

• Any rational person can become virtuous
• The Lex Aeterna is the law derivable by reason
• The assistance of God is required to understand
  the Law
• His assistance is Grace, a gift to undeserving
  persons

63
Law and Grace

• Any rational person can become virtuous
• The Lex Aeterna is the law derivable by reason
• The assistance of God is required to understand
  the Law
• His assistance is Grace, a gift to undeserving
  persons
• So Happiness requires God

64
Peace
65
Peace

• Lex Temporalis is the law Man makes

66
Peace

• Lex Temporalis is the law Man makes
• To preserve peace

67
Peace

• Lex Temporalis is the law Man makes
• To preserve peace
• Peace requires justice
• (Justice proper order of values)

68
Peace

• Lex Temporalis is the law Man makes
• To preserve peace
• Peace requires justice
• (Justice proper order of values)
• Peace can only exist in Heaven

69
Summary

• Christian additions to Western ethical values
• sin, love of God and ones fellow man, humility,
  kindness, forgiveness, mercy
• Christian additional emphasis on
• Importance of Will
• Acceptance of ultimate Worth of Others
• Belief in Lawful order of things