Aristotle And St. Augustine

Both St. Augustine’s Confessions and Confucius’s Analects are significant teachings that have influenced people around the world not only in ancient times but in current history as well. Both doctrines provide discussion on the ethical values of society back in the ancient time they were written and lead us to discover similarities between the two beliefs. Although we find these connections, there are significant differences between St. Augustine and Confucius’s views on life and beliefs since they were living in different time periods and environments. Their experiences are the influencers that have impacted to the way that philosophies and traditions have grown today between the West and the East. I agree that Confucius celebrated social

From an early age, his parents stressed studies, particularly in rhetoric. IN 873 A.D. Augustine was studying in Carthage where he was first exposed to the works of Cicero. After reading Hortensius Augustine became enamored of philosophy. As he put it, "The book excited and inflamed me...,"(P. 39) and he "...longed after immortal wisdom." (P. 38). With this, he had found a new purpose in life, and set out the find wisdom and truth. Cicero's writings were eloquent, and as such appealed to Augustine's intellect.

Augustine financial support for his education, he did not care how Augustine’s character would advance through his education. St. Augustine’s dad paid more than a richer man would pay for their son’s education because he wanted to provide Augustine with the proper education. (Confessions, II, 5). Unlike the attitude toward his father, St. Augustine showed a great deal of respect to his mother, Monica, since she was a practicing Christian (II,60). In spite of this, Augustine criticized his mother for holding him back from his sexual desire (II,8). But his father arranged his marriage and encouraged him to have children (II,6). Unlike Confucius’s teachings of remaining reverent to your parent, Augustine openly criticized his family’s wrong doings because God was his heart and only truth (II,5).

Aristotle and St. Augustine have both been influenced by Plato. Their philosophy on morality, politics, and the purpose of life has been platonically influenced. St. Augustine is the true heir of Plato because he has taken Plato’s ideal state, and revealed the implications of the lives that the citizens of the earthly city lead, in the City of God. Plato’s state is an ideal state, that would not function in reality. St. Augustine has taken Plato’s notions, and have furthered the implications of living a life that strives towards a common good. The consequences, whether negative or positive, cannot be seen in the earthly state, but can be seen in the City of God.

Many people can agree that it is hard to have the same end result especially coming from two different ends of the spectrum. When it comes down to it, it is all about the individual and their actions. Aristotle was born into a rich and easy life where his only job was to learn and share his knowledge with others, while epictetus had to work for everything he had in his life. At the end of the day they both agreed that philosophy is a lifestyle we can choose to live and

His popular writings were written for a general audience and modeled after Plato's dialogues. The memoranda is a collection of research materials and historical records. Most of the writings from these two groups have been lost. The third group, the treatises, was written for his classes, to teach his students. They were either lecture notes or textbooks. These treatises were made only for the students and are the only writings that still survive today. Aristotle's early writings showed his admiration for Plato by imitating Plato's style. He wrote in dialogue form and his themes were variations of themes that Plato had developed. Later on, his writings strayed from Platonistic views and they compared concrete fact to the abstract and often clashed with the views of Plato. Two of his most important writings concerning rhetoric are Organon and Rhetoric.

Both journey's taken by Aeneas and Augustine were similar in many ways. Aeneas is looking for a new place for Troy after it is destroyed. It is Aeneas' destiny to find a new home for his people, and his prophecy in The Aeneid is that Rome will be great in the end. Him and all of his people need a new place to belong. Similarly, Augustine is taking a journey to become a Christian and he struggles finding a place to belong in

As a Christian educator, it is important to base educational practices on Biblical authority. Christian education should teach students to learn to act like God and to do His work (Graham, 2003). “True education is to develop knowledge of God and His created reality and to use that knowledge in exercising a creative-redemptive dominion over the world . . . “ (Graham, 2003, p. 57). Being a Christian educator, does not mean that organizational structure and curriculum occur in a vacuum. Educational philosophy and structure have been developing for thousands of years and the wise educational administrator should study and understand the history and ideas that impact the educational landscape of today.

Aristotle is a Greek teacher and is credited for establishing the cornerstone of modern philosophy via his book Para Psyche (Biography.com Editors). His work assumes the existence of divine power and tells that the reason the human body exists is to house our

The philosophers Aristotle and Immanuel Kant express the sources of virtuous and dutiful actions in a similar, yet different way. Both philosophers agree that an action has moral worth, when it is preformed for its own sake. However, the difference contains a more significant meaning. Aristotle believes that pleasure can be included when preforming an action; while Kant believes that a duty is preforming the right action without the need of inclinations.

Throughout their writing, Plato, Augustine, and Machiavelli uphold differing opinions on how politically involved one should become. Comparatively, each of the men holds different views on God. In this paper, I argue that their beliefs about God determine what they value and prioritize, therefore influencing how essential they considered politics in order to achieve their ends. Plato seems to prefer very little political involvement, Augustine encourages some participation but with several stipulations, and Machiavelli urges significant political involvement.

Augustine was given ëPlatonic books' in a Latin interpretation by Marius Victorinus and, he says, they changed his life. The Platonism Augustine experienced at Milan, in books and dialog gatherings and Ambrose's proclaiming, was ëNew Platonism' (Neoplatonism), which embarked to elucidate Plato in the conviction that he had comprehended the interminable truth and had explained it in a steady philosophical framework which was passed on by his adherents. It required incredible creativity of brain to accommodate Plato's different investigations in believed, Aristotle's evaluate, and the contentions of their successors, and many civil arguments proceeded among the New Platonists. Milanese Neoplatonism was especially impacted by the third-century scholar Plotinus, an amazing parsimonious who declined to give formal philosophical addresses, and by his student Porphyry, who changed Plotinus' concise

St. Augustine was a theologian and philosopher born in Africa to St. Monica. Although he is now known as a an incredibly influential Christian writer and thinker, his early years were defined by rebellion and discord that did not, in the least, reflect Christianity or the values that he is now known for supporting. His early years were freckled with mindless disobedience, wretched behavior, and characterized godlessness that makes his conversion to the faith incredibly remarkable and one that is worth defining in Saint Augustine 's Confessions. His incredible turnaround from a faithless man to a devout supporter of Christianity is significant and is freckled with many major milestones that truly demonstrate his spiritual and internal growth into one of the biggest spiritual icons of the fifth century. These major milestones include his realization that his boyhood was defined by pointless rebellious behavior, even though he grew up in a Christian home, his new found appreciation for philosophy as well as God and his incredible mercy during his years as a student at Carthage,

Augustine was born Aurelius Augustinus on November 13, 354 in North Africa. He received a classical Latin education and went to study rhetoric at the age of twelve in Madaura. He later studied at Cathrage

Before submitting himself to God, Augustine lived a life controlled by various sinful tendencies such as theft and lust. Surrounded by strong believers of Catholicism, such as his mother, St. Monica, Augustine grew up questioning Christ and the faith and rather explored other religions. Two religions that Augustine devoted himself to were Manichaeism and Neoplatonism. While both religions had strengths and flaws, neither truly satisfied Augustine’s spiritual emptiness. Before devoting himself fully to the Catholic faith, Augustine is seen as an honorable saint because of the significance of his works and teachings. Augustine’s conversion from Manichaeism to Neoplatonism to Catholicism as noted through Confessions, transformed his life from being powered by sin and immortality to a life dominated by rectitude and devotion.