Philosophy- St. Augustine

ST. AUGUSTINE · Birth 354 · A pastor/preacher · Writings are geared to help the people in his audience be able to understand · UNDERSTANDING OF GOD: o Not completely Christian o Believes in spoiling the Egyptians § Doesn’t know true object of his pursuit (in Christianity) o First to introduce faith into philosophy: § Reason is only part of the journey. § Reason will only get you so far, you also need faith. § Faith is a belief in a god who has revealed himself § Faith and reason complement each other-both necessary · SENSES: o Give you a degree of knowledge (lowest degree of knowledge) o Not simply appearances o Reliable but limited o For everything we come to know, it creates a soul-ish image that we know o Every time we think of it, we judge the characteristics or categories of it o Categories = eternal things o Anything good and beautiful can reflect us to God – Same with order = Wants to see how it leads us to God o Points us to general truth = points us to God · DOCTRINE OF ILLUMINATION: o Augustine- § Doesn’t want to rely on this. § Even knowing the ability to know is something we rely on God for § Believes that knowledge is made possible by God § Believes that all things are illuminated for us by God o Plato- § We know because when we were immortal souls § When we fell, we forgot that knowledge § We can find that knowledge § How can we know? Ideas had to be birthed out o Aristotle- § How can we know? Particulars lead to actuals *God is that which we are trying to know · THE GOOD LIFE: o Knowing God o Finding oneself in the presence-peace- of God o Seek the face of God · BELIEVES ABOUT GOD: o Existence: § Our existence · Dependent on him · Because of His existence · Changing-temporal § God’s existence · Eternal—we don’t have the words to describe because no one has experienced it · Not encased/bound by his creation o Time nor space · Infinite o What we can know about God § Taking what God has given us, we can know things about God § Knowing God is not just a knowledge of God § The more we know about God, the more we participate in God’s nature o The Dance (Salvation): § Three-person dance (Trinity in Love) and Jesus asks you to dance with them § Participating in that love o Not the intellect that needs dominance, but the will § Purify will that will guide reason to it’s object § Will = love § We will always love/have love § We have a love within us that craves an object that is infinite/boundless · When this love is attached to something shallow(thing/person), it will only be filled for a short time · Anything we love reflects something on us—fills some need · Only one thing that will fully fill that love—God *This thought opens up the pure will for all people · LOVE: o We love God o We learn to love through God o God is the only thing that we fully love for himself § Love of people · only through God · love from a reference to God § H.W: Initial test - Posted online – Exam Questions - two paragraphs - Due Thursday (Hard Copy) PIP IDEA: Photography - Look for inspirational art - Representational Art - Using a philosophical idea and portraying it in the arts