ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO REPORTING ON MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY.pdf

Things more about St. Augustine Of Hippo

1. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF AUGUSTINE'S WRITINGS?


AND WHY WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
BY SEM. CONAN MARTIREZ

2. THE SELECTIVETHE SELECTIVE
WRITINGS OFWRITINGS OF
ST. AUGUSTINEST. AUGUSTINE
CONFESSIONS
HAPPY LIFE
THE HOLY TRINITY
THE CITY OF GOD
RETRACTIONS

3. CONFESSIONS
“You have made us to be ‘toward’ you, and our heart is restless
until it rests in you.”

4. THE BOOK OF 'CONFESSIONS'THE BOOK OF 'CONFESSIONS'
0101 0202
DEALS WITH DIFFERENT CONTENTS
The first 9 books describe Divine
Providence worked in the first thirty-
three years of his life to open him to
God.
The 10th book reveals the spiritual
state of Augustine after his
conversion

5. AURELIUSAURELIUS
AUGUSTINUSAUGUSTINUS
"GOD CANNOT BE THE CAUSE OF EVIL"
For God– “evil does not exist”
Evil is- a lack, an absence of good.
Anything that has substance is good.
Therefore, evil can have no substance.
FOCUSES ON THREE MAJOR THEMES IN HIS
AUTOBIOGRAPHY: THE NATURE OF EVIL, TIME,
AND WISDOM.

6. AURELIUS AUGUSTINUS
ADDRESSES THE NATURE OF TIME BECAUSE IN
THE BIBLE THE CONCEPT OF CREATION OUT OF
NOTHING IS REVEALED
...time does not have the same kind of being as events that occur in
time. It is appropriate to ask particular questions about a sequence
of events but not what happened before all events.
Time, he observed, has no substantiality outside of its relation to
temporal events
"WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE CREATION?

7. ST. AUGUSTINEST. AUGUSTINE
Much of his life was involved in what he saw
as a search for “the wisdom of eternal truth.”
He spends years pursuing this wisdom while
encountering doubt and temptation.

8. "CHRIST THE"CHRIST THE
MEDIATOR"MEDIATOR"

9. HEHE
CONFESSESCONFESSES
THETHE
TEMPTATIONSTEMPTATIONS
which he is still subject from the lust of
the flesh,
the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
“IF MADE PERMANENT
WOULD BE HARD TO
DISTINGUISH FROM THE
LIFE TO COME.”
SAINT AUGUSTINE

11. continuation
ST. AUGUSTINE
FAITH AND REASON

12. PRESENTATION
HIGHLIGHT
Augustine’s proposition on
the relation of faith and
reason influences all the
rest of his thinking.
WHAT WE'LL
DISCUSS

13. FAITH(FIDES)
“FAITH SEEKING
UNDERSTANDING”
CONCEPTION OF
KNOWLEDGE.
It is an acceptance of, or assent to,
something that is not clearly seen.

14. THREE KINDS OF OBJECTS OF BELIEF
This illustrates the scope that Augustine assigns to faith.

15. FAITH
in which the individual confesses their
sin and brokenness before God, and by
his Grace, is cleansed
A HUMBLE POSTURE OF
SEEKING AND CONFESSION
so that it can see clearly
THIS INITIAL WORK BEGINS
THE PROCESS OF
CLEANSING THE SOUL
the soul is continually cleansed as a
gracious process, which slowly flakes
away the filth of the Fall.
AS THE INDIVIDUAL
CONTINUES TO SEEK GOD
weighs us down, pulling us back into
the mire and creating distance from
God
THE SIN IN OUR SOULS
BY MARK HANSARD, 2018

16. Vinyl | Zypher Art Talks 2020
"FAITH IN GOD’S GRACE IS THE
ONLY MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN
CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCE GOD’S
PRESENCE."
SAINT AUGUSTINE

17. IN AN ELOQUENT DESCRIPTION OF THE
PROCESS, AUGUSTINE DECLARES:
"REASON IS THE SOUL’S GAZE.
BUT SINCE IT DOES NOT FOLLOW THAT EVERYONE WHO
GAZES SEES, A RIGHT AND PERFECT GAZE, FROM
WHICH VISION FOLLOWS, IS CALLED VIRTUE. FOR
VIRTUE IS RIGHT OR PERFECT REASON.

18. WILL(REASON)
WHAT ABOUT AUGUSTINE’S
VIEW OF THE WILL?
The will precedes (complete)
knowledge in that it determines
what is known, by choosing what is
loved. We can only have complete
knowledge of what our affections
pursue.
BY MARK HANSARD, 2018

19. Augustinian reason is (in the
phychological usage) the gaze of
mind (aspectus mentis). The
culmination of such “gazing” is a
vision, a clear seeing of the
object of knowledge.
REASON(RATIO)
CONTINUATION

20. AUGUSTINE BELIEVED,
LIKE A GOOD
PLATONIST
OUR AFFECTIONS MUST
BE SET ON THINGS
ABOVE (CF.
COLOSSIANS 3:1)
God is still within the soul and,
subconsciously as it were, helps
the mind to understand the
world. But complete knowledge
can only come through
recognizing God’s presence,
acknowledging and surrendering
to his goodness. Once the
affections are settled on God
himself, full knowledge of him
and the world is possible.

21. AUGUSTINE’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO:

PSYCHOLOGY
PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY

BY: SEM. ED LESTER ALINO

22. PSYCHOLOGY
AUGUSTINE BELIEVED THAT THE MIND WAS THE INTERFACE
BETWEEN THE DIVINE AND EARTH, SOMETHING HE POINTED OUT
IN HIS TREATISE, CONFESSIONS. ADOPTING AN INTROSPECTIVE
LINE, HE REASONED THAT STUDYING THE MIND WOULD ALLOW HIM
TO UNDERSTAND THE DIVINE. IN MANY WAYS, AUGUSTINE WAS
THE FIRST PHILOSOPHER TO PROPOSE THAT HUMANS HAD AN
‘INNER SELF,’ BELIEVING THAT A HEALTHY PERSON HAS INNER
UNITY, WHEREAS INNER DISUNITY LED TO INNER MALADY.
TRAINED IN RHETORIC, AUGUSTINE USED HIS CONFESSIONS TO
RELATE HIS OWN LIFE AND STRUGGLES, BUT HE CLEVERLY USED
THIS TO PAINT A WIDER PICTURE, THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN
ESCAPE MATERIALISM AND FIND SPIRITUALITY AND SALVATION.

23. THE DUALISM OF MEMORY AND DREAMS
AUGUSTINE BELIEVED THAT MEMORY WAS THE SINGLE-MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE MIND, BECAUSE IT WAS THE ROOT OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING. HE REASONED THAT ALL SKILLS
AND HABITS DERIVED FROM MEMORY, AND THAT EVEN ANIMALS
MUST HAVE THE POWER OF RECALL IF THEY ARE TO FUNCTION.
EXPANDING UPON THIS, HE PROPOSED A DUAL MEMORY,
REASONING THAT THERE WERE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN
RECOGNITION AND RECALL. HUMANS ONLY REMEMBER THE
IMAGES OF THINGS IN SENSORY MEMORY, BUT THE MATURE OF
THESE IMAGES WOULD BE OBSCURED IN THE AFFECTIVE MEMORY.

24. THE DUALISM OF MEMORY AND DREAMS
HE DEVELOPED THIS INTERESTING DUALITY BECAUSE HE
RECOGNIZED THAT THE PROCESSES BEHIND MEMORY WERE
EXTREMELY COMPLEX, NAMELY THAT SOME THINGS WERE EASILY
RECALLED, SOME TOOK A LITTLE EFFORT TO FIND, AND OTHERS
REFUSE TO COME FORTH. SOME MEMORIES ARE ORDERLY AND
SEQUENTIAL, WHEREAS OTHERS ARE DISORGANIZED AND
OVERWHELMING.

25. THE DUALISM OF MEMORY AND DREAMS
AUGUSTINE LOOKED AT THE NATURE OF DREAMS, RECOGNIZING
THAT THOUGHT AND IMPULSES THAT ARE SUPPRESSED WHILE
AWAKE CAN BE EXTREMELY STRONG IN DREAMS. HE ARGUED THAT
THERE WAS NO SIN IN DREAMS, SO THEY SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE
CONSCIENCE OF A CHRISTIAN, BUT HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT
PAST EXPERIENCES COULD ARISE IN DREAMS. MEMORY COULD BE
BURIED IN THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND, AND RESURFACE IN DREAMS,
WHERE THEY COULD NOT BE TEMPERED BY THOUGHT OR REASON.

26. PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY
ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO WAS SUCCESSFUL IN MASTERING
PHILOSOPHY, DESPITE NOT HAVING STUDIED IT FORMALLY.
THROUGH IT HE MANAGED TO EXPLAIN HIS CONCERNS IN THE
THEOLOGICAL FIELD, CREATING GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTH
CURRENTS, SUCH AS:

27. THEORY OF TIME
IN HIS BOOK OF CONFESSIONS, ST. AUGUSTINE POINTS OUT THAT
TIME IS PART OF AN ORDER THAT IS CARRIED WITHIN THE HUMAN
MIND. FOR HIM THERE IS NO PRESENT WITHOUT A PAST, MUCH
LESS A FUTURE WITHOUT A PRESENT.
BECAUSE OF THIS, HE MENTIONS THAT THE PRESENT OF PAST
EXPERIENCES IS KEPT IN THE MEMORY, WHILE THE PRESENT OF
CURRENT EXPERIENCES IS ESTABLISHED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WITH THIS HE MANAGED TO IMPLY THAT EVEN WHEN
REMEMBERING MAN IS KEPT IN A PRESENT (REVIVE MOMENT), AND
DREAMING OF FUTURE ACTIONS.

28. LANGUAGE LEARNING
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO BROUGHT GREAT THOUGHTS ON HUMAN
LANGUAGE, MAKING REFERENCE IN THE WAY IN WHICH CHILDREN
LEARN TO SPEAK THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT AND ASSOCIATION.
LIKEWISE, HE SAID THAT THROUGH SPEECH ONLY SEEKS TO TEACH,
BECAUSE WHEN ASKING EVEN FOR SOMETHING UNKNOWN, THE
PERSON WHO HAS THE ANSWER IS ALLOWED TO REFLECT ON
WHAT HE WILL SAY AND EXPOSE HIS POINT OF VIEW FREELY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, HE POINTED OUT THAT THROUGH
LANGUAGE IT IS TAUGHT AND LEARNED THROUGH MEMORY,
WHICH IS STORED IN THE SOUL AND EXTERNALIZED WITH
THOUGHT, TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE.
HE ALSO STRESSED THAT PRAYER WAS A METHOD OF
COMMUNICATION THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE SOUL, AND THAT
SERVED ONLY TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH GOD, TO CALM
CONCERNS AND HOPE.

29. STATEMENT OF FAITH AS A SEARCH FOR COMPRESSION
ST. AUGUSTINE AFFIRMED THAT ONE SHOULD"BELIEVE TO
UNDERSTAND", THUS POINTING TO FAITH AS THE PERFECT
METHOD FOR UNDERSTANDING, SINCE IT IS THE BASIS OF A
TESTIMONY AND TRUTH, THROUGH THE REASON OF FEELING.
BASED ON THIS, HE INVITED CHRISTIANS TO UNDERSTAND THE
REALITY ACCORDING TO THEIR FAITH AND THE DOCTRINES
IMPOSED, SO THAT THEY COULD SEE THAT EVERYTHING WAS
RELATED AND PROVIDED FAITH WAS NOT INDIFFERENT TO
REASON, A FULL UNDERSTANDING WOULD COME.

30. HE INFLUENCED THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
HIS WRITINGS RELATED TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH GAVE STRENGTH
TO THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT GOD
WAS A BEING LIKE NO OTHER COULD EXIST, SOMEONE SUBLIME
AND SUPREME, EXPLAINING TO THE BELIEVERS THAT KNOWING
THE TRUTH WAS KNOWN.

31. ILLUSTRATED GOD AS ETERNAL AND KNOWER OF THE TRUTH
FOR ST. AUGUSTINE THE HUMAN BEING WAS ABLE TO LEARN
UNIVERSAL TRUTHS, EVEN OVER MAN'S OWN KNOWLEDGE,
THEREFORE IN UNDERSTANDING THE DESIGNS OF GOD, WISDOM
WAS OBTAINED, BECAUSE HE WAS ETERNAL TRUTH.

32. HE CREATED A THEORY OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
BECAUSE OF HIS PERCEPTION OF KNOWLEDGE, I CREATE A
THEORY KNOWN AS"DIVINE ENLIGHTENMENT,"WHERE HE
MENTIONS THAT GOD IS ABLE TO ENLIGHTEN AND BRING
KNOWLEDGE TO THE HUMAN MIND BY GIVING IT DIVINE TRUTHS.
THEREFORE, WHOEVER KNOWS GOD AND IS ASSURED OF HIS
UNIVERSAL TRUTH CAN REVEAL MYSTERIES.

33. HE DEFINED EVIL AS THE ABSENCE OF HUMANITY
ST. AUGUSTINE MAINTAINED THAT EVIL WAS AN ABSENCE OF
HUMANITY IN THE PERSON, SO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE KIND
AND DID NOT GIVE LIFE TO THIS FEELING, WHICH WAS A SYMBOL
OF PUTTING FIRST BEING BEFORE THE OPINION AND RIGHT OF
OTHERS.
AS AN EXAMPLE HE USED LUCIFER TO POINT OUT THAT HE
THOUGHT OF HIS BENEFIT AND NOT OF GOD, WHICH GAVE LIFE TO
EVIL AFTER A SELFISH ACTION. HE THEREFORE INVITED PEOPLE TO
THINK IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING TO LIVE IN PEACE.

34. RECOGNIZED WISDOM AS A WHOLE THAT LEADS TO HAPPINESS
BASED ON PLATO'S PHILOSOPHY, HE UNDERSTOOD WISDOM AS A
UNIQUE HAPPINESS, SO HE ASSURED THAT MAN, KNOWING THE
TRUTH, WOULD BE HAPPY, BECAUSE LOVE WAS ALSO PRESENT IN
HIM.

35. HE SHOWED REDEMPTION AS A PATH OF LIBERATION
FOR ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, REDEMPTION WAS THE WAY TO
FREEDOM, AND THIS WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH LOVE OF GOD.
FOR THIS REASON, HE ONLY AFFIRMED THAT ONLY BY KNOWING
GOD COULD THE HUMAN SIDE BE AWAKENED, AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE SELF BE SET ASIDE TO COMMIT ONESELF TO
THE COMMON GOOD AND FEEL FREE.

36. THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!
Don't hesitate to ask any questions!