Lecture 4: Philosophy and
Augustine
Ann T. Orlando
March 21, 2007
Philosophical Background
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Athenian Philosophy Before Alexander the Great (356-332 BC)
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Hellenistic Philosophy (see Acts 17:18)
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Socrates and Plato: Platonism (and indirectly skepticism);
Academy
Aristotle: Plato’s student, founder of Lyceum and
Aristotelianism, taught Alexander
Epicurus, fought in Alexander’s army; opposed to Plato,
founder of Epicureanism; the Garden
Zeno: opposed to Epicurus, founder of Stoicism; the Stoa
Neoplatonism centered in Alexandria 250 CE
Note that ancient philosophy was considered a way of life; not an
academic discipline
Catholic Christianity has always used contemporary philosophical
methods as the language of theology and as an aid to interpret the
Bible; philosophy as the handmaid of theology. Example: Virtue
Platonism
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Platonism
Happiness is found in choosing the good and the
beautiful
Uncertain whether virtue is learned or gift of gods
The physical world is only a shadow of the real
world
Socrates always searching for knowledge (but does
he ever find it?)
God is not material
Aristotle
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Aristotelianism
Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance
with virtue
Virtue is the mean between two vices as a prudent
man would define it
Knowledge leads to virtue; exceptional people can
make themselves virtuous
Keen interest in the physical world; especially
systems of classification
‘Metaphysics’ is Aristotle’s treatment of ethics; it
occurs in his works ‘after physics’
God as prime mover and as the end (telos)
Stoicism
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Happiness is following the will of God
God everywhere, god as logos (rational necessity); god as a type
of gas that permeates everything
His providence rules everything (see Acts 17:28)
Ethics based on following God’s plan for you; no free will;
emphasis on virtues; judgment by God after death
Natural law as part of Providence’s eternal law
Passions are to be subordinated to intellect
Allegorical interpretation of Greek myths
Dominant philosophy of Roman Empire
Seneca, Epictitus, Marcus Aurelius
Epicureans
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God or gods are uninterested in created world
Free will; not bound by ties of family or duty
No life after death
Ethics based on pleasure
Science and technology very important; based on random motion
of atoms
Justice based upon contractual agreements
Opposed to allegory and prophecy as a way of knowing
Favored philosophy of intellectual Romans who wanted to
withdraw from society
Women encouraged to join as full members of schools
Lucretius, Philodemus
Roundly condemned by all other philosophies; early rabbinic
word for atheist is derived from Epicurus
Justin Martyr (100-165)
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Justin and his Christian school at Rome seems
to have been very well known
Justin used many Stoic concepts in his
apologies (he was, after all writing at time of
Marcus Aurelius)
Emphasized Christ as Logos
One of the earliest descriptions of liturgy
Tertullian (160-215)
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Born in Carthage, North Africa; trained as a lawyer
First Latin theologian; much of vocabulary of
theological Latin originated with him; but also wrote
some works in Greek
Vehement works against Marion and gnostics
More works extant from him than any other 2nd C
author
Critical influence on Cyprian (3rd C) and Augustine
(4th C)
Questioned some (but not all) use of philosophy in
theology, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem”
Christian ‘Systematic’ Theologian:
Origen (185-254)
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Born in Alexandria; towering giant over Eastern theology; many
debates trace to how to interpret Origen
May have studied in same philosophical classes as Plotinus; also
knew St. Clement of Alexandria
Traveled extensively, including to Rome and met with Hippolytus
Wrote:
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an apology, Contra Celsum
Many Biblical commentaries, including on OT books
Biblical scholarship: Hexapla comparing Hebrew, and
several different versions of Greek OT (not extant)
Different ways to interpret bible, especially OT allegorically
(debt to Philo, 1st C Alexandrian Jew)
‘systematic’ presentation of Christianity: On First Principles
Suffered persecution during Decius reign, eventually died from
wounds
New Philosophical Development:
Neoplatonism
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Plotinus (204-270) Alexandria, pagan philosopher
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Considered himself a Platonist; wanted to defend Plato
against gnostics
Knowledge of the One is available to everyone
Steps to achieve spiritual unity with the One
Material world is not bad (but not complete; completion only
in the One)
Most important philosophical statement as solution
of theodicy problem: Evil is the absence of a good
that should be there (see definition of evil in CCC)
Most important Christian theologian influenced by
Plotinus: Augustine
Importance of Augustine to Western
Theology Cannot Be Overstated
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For Western Christianity, he is the most important theologian from this period
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Every serious Western theologian after Augustine must in some way ‘deal’ with
Augustine
Augustine was the standard for doctrinal truth and theological method
throughout the Middle Ages
Aquinas (13th C) runs into trouble because
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Arguably the most important theologian from any period
He seems to abandon Augustine’s theological method (Neoplatonism) for Aristotlianism
But also because of primacy of intellect over will
Open any page of ST and see number of references to Augustine
Renaissance ‘starts’ when Petrarch reads the Confessions
In Reformation Luther and Calvin claim Augustine for themselves in opposition
to Scholasticism
Augustine is patron saint of Jansenists, Augustinus
Enlightenment rejection of Christianity is specifically a rejection of Augustine
Existentialists of 20th C continue campaign specifically against Augustine; Albert
Camus The Plague
Thomas Merton Seven Story Mountain
Freeman’s Closing of the Western Mind ‘blames’ Augustine (and Catholicism in
general) for loss of reason in Western world until Enlightenment
Pope Benedict XVI has defined himself, and is often referred to as, an
Augustinian theologian
Critical and Defining Issues for Augustine
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Theodicy
Relation between human nature and God’s grace
Epistemology
Primacy of love;
 Man as a social being who should be completely motivated by
properly ordered loves
 “Love and do whatever you will”
 Importance of friendship
Heresies that Augustine argued against
 Arianism
 Donatism
 Manichaeism
 Pelagianism
Donatism
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Started c. 313 in North Africa, named for a Christian
Bishop in North Africa who protested the ordination
of presbyters by a lapsed bishop
What is the relationship of the minister to the
sacrament?
Does the validity of the sacrament depend on the
personal virtue of the minister?
However, this issue continued to be hotly contested;
leading to the Donatist movement in North Africa
Wanted the Church to be the ‘Church of the Pure’
especially the ministers
Augustine Against Donatists
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More Donatist Christians in North Africa than
Catholic Christian
Donatist tried to assassinate Augustine
Augustine gives clearest statement of
Catholic Church position: :
 the validity of the sacrament is independent
of the personal spiritual state of the minister
 Because of original sin, no one is ‘pure’ all
need forgiveness
Controversy over Sex and Marriage
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Control of passions was important aspect of all philosophical
schools of time, including Epicureanism
Manichees (like many gnostic sects) opposed to sex because
part of evil, corporeal world
Jovinian, Priest in Rome, contemporary of Jerome
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Virgins and married women are of same merit after Baptism if they
do the same works
Everyone born again in Baptism cannot be overthrown by devil
No difference in abstaining from food and receiving it in thanksgiving
There is one reward in heaven for all who are baptized
Jerome writes a refutation of Jovinian that is so anti-marriage
that Jerome’s friends in Rome try to confiscate it
Jerome (NOT AUGUSTINE) “ The only reason to marry and have
sex is to create more virgins”
Augustine and Sex
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Augustine wrote On the Goods of Marriage as
the middle way between Jerome and Jovinian
While viewing virginity as the better way of life,
Augustine also recognized several types of
‘goods’ in marriage:
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Procreation
Good of fidelity and unity
Sacrament
Sexual lust is a result of Fall
Sin of Adam and Eve infected human nature
Summary of Books IV-VI
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Book IV
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Book V
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Teacher of rhetoric
Takes a mistress, [IV.ii]
Opposed to astrologers,
Death of a friend who converts on death bed; description of grief [IV.iv]
Writes a book, On Fitting and Beautiful (no longer extant)
Does not think Aristotle’s Categories important [IV.xvi]
Discovers that Manichees get astronomy wrong, therefore entire faith in them is shaken [V.v]
Goes to Rome to find fame and fortune; deceives Monica
Trifles with being an Academic (skeptic)
Goes to Milan to give an address before the Emperor;
Goes to hear Ambrose preach because of his reputation as an orator [V.xiii]
Becomes a Catholic catechumen by ‘default’
Book IV (Augustine is 30)
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Monica joins him in Milan
Ambrose forbids Monica to go to tomb of martyrs
Ambrose explains how to understand the OT: allegory
Alypius addicted to shows and circus; falsely accused of theft
Augustine cannot be celibate
Monica arranges socially advantageous a marriage to a young girl;
Monica forces long time mistress to return to Africa, leaving behind Augustine’s son, Adeodatus; Augustine immediately
gets another mistress
Briefly considers becoming an Epicurean
Book VII
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Stoic concept of God filling universe
What is evil?
Importance of the Platonists (that is, Neoplatonists,
Plotinus)
Approaches love of God; but weight of sexual habit
diverts him from God.
Rejection of Christological heresies
What the Platonists don’t have: Christ
Note importance of Paul (especially Romans) in
these chapters
Book VIII
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Accepts truth of Church
Gives up ambition , but still tied to sex
Hears story of conversion of famous pagan
philosopher, Victorinus
Servitude to passion, habit (vice) is formed
Reads Life of Antony
Wants to become God’s friend
“God grant me chastity, but not yet”
Conversion in the garden
Book IX
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Augustine rejects his own will and desires God will
Leaves teaching
Remedy of the sacraments
Goes to Cassiciacum with friends, Adeodatus, and Monica, {writes
Against the Academics and On the Happy Life}
Still has difficulty understanding some parts of OT: Isaiah
Baptism with Adeodatus
Monica stands with Ambrose to fight the Arians
Story of Monica; addicted to wine
Mystical experience of Augustine and Monica
Monica’s death
Augustine addresses reader: pray for Patrick and Monica at the altar
Summary of Books X - XIII
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Book X (longest book)
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Book XI
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What is time?
Created time and God’s eternity meet in Christ
Book XII
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Augustine’s Confession [X.ii]
Lord stir the hearts of those who read about my sins [X.iii; X.iv]
The power of memory
What is the happy life: joy based on truth
Late have I loved You, beauty so old and so new, late have I loved You
Still troubled by sexual temptations which live in his memory; problem with gluttony
Relationship between Platonic formless matter and creation ex nihilo
Interpretation of Genesis 1:1
What does it mean for Moses to be the ‘author’ of Scripture, what did Moses have in mind?
Scripture speaks to inner ear
Book XIII
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How to understand the Trinity? Being, knowing, willing
‘Heaven and earth’ allegorical interpretation: spiritual and carnal members of Church
Adam’s sin [XIII.xx] resulted in coming of Jesus Christ
True rest is only found in God
Assignments
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Read Books VII – IX
Write one-page paper
CCC385, 464-469; Definition of evil