Augustine's View of Humanity

Augustine’s Confessions is a diverse blend of autobiographical accounts as well as philosophical, theological and critical analysis of the Christian Bible. Augustine treats his autobiography as an opportunity to recount his life and mentions how each event in his life has a religious and philosophical explanation. Augustine had many major events happen in his life but only 3 events would deem of extreme importance to his journey to faith. Theses major events were Book II how he describes that he considered his time of adolescence to be the most lurid and sinful period of his life, Book III how this becomes the lowest point in his relationship with God because his

You prompt us yourself to find satisfaction in appraising you, since you made us tilted toward you, and our heart is unstable until stabilized in you. Quintessentially, this quote from Confessions symbolizes Augustine’s perilous journey towards Christianity. Although appearing earlier in what is colloquially known as the “first autobiography”, Augustine expounds on this very idea throughout his writings. Whether that includes his attraction and disdain for Manichaeism or his affinity with Neo-Platonism, one could argue this quote acted as the foundation of his inquisitions of these pre-modern dogmatic sects. Augustine, despite his perils with intellectual paradoxes, sought to understand these rigid entities that seemed to have variant

Augustine’s literary style in Confessions was very effective in relaying his thoughts on evil, redemption, Genesis, and his personal dichotomy between the bible and Neoplatonism. . Though the first nine books are a reflection of his life they are filled with the relationship between his thoughts and actions and his path to redemption and salvation, connecting these with his deep philosophical thoughts in the final books. It was interesting to see how his perspective changed over the course of his life as he began to combine Neoplatonic thought with metaphorical analysis of the bible.

Young Augustine weeps for the woman who dies for her love, as an older Augustine weeps over his complete ignorance and incontinence. Young Augustine is ignorant of the presence of God in his life, and is compelled not to weep for his own spiritual distance from God, but instead for a tragedy that, in the mind of the older Augustine, is incomparable to the tragedy of being without God. The older Augustine is compelled by his advanced knowledge of the Lord’s proximity to lament his previous lack of control over his habits, proclaiming “I had no love for you and ‘committed fornication against you’ (Ps. 72:27); and in my fornications, I heard all round me the cries ‘Well done, well done’ (Ps. 34:21; 39:16) … I abandoned you to pursue the lowest things of your creation.” (Conf. 16). This reveals that Young Augustine lives an entirely habitual life, never thinking of God or his importance, instead concerned with material and worldly concerns such as reputation and honor. This state of pure habit does not leave space for Young Augustine to have continence, and leaves him to act out his life according to passion and emotions.

Augustine’s Confessions is an autobiography written around 400 A.D which details his spiritual journey, and each of the books address a certain element of Augustine’s steps in his spiritual path. In Book III, he develops his overcoming of lust by introducing the book with the line: “I went to Carthage, where I found myself in the midst of a hissing cauldron of lust.” (III.1, pp55). The theme of non-sexual lust instantly becomes the focal point of the book and Augustine presents the “hissing cauldron” as a low point in his relationship with God, for he wanders away from his creator by loving his own ways; however, he later discovers this was merely lust compared to the true love of God. In this essay, I will argue that Book III of Confessions

In St. Augustine’s Confessions and Dante’s Inferno, the central characters in their respective narratives are presented a message from which induces distinct reactions. More importantly, their reactions are reflections of their perspective concerning the Christian outlook

Over the course of time, things that seem important now are bound to change. For example, before Augustine’s time, Christianity was just becoming legally recognized. Today, Christianity is one of the world’s most widely known religions. Augustine shows us that while most things do change, human nature is not one of them. Throughout his piece, Confessions, he describes to the reader how humans are born evil, and cannot change until they have the capacity to do so. Through reading this autobiography and Hsün Tzu’s piece, Man’s Nature Is Evil, as well as Mencius’s piece, Man’s Nature Is Good, it seems that Augustine agrees more with Hsün Tzu than Mencius. They both agreed on the ideas that all humans are born evil, they remain evil through

Augustine is our exemplar to human nature, as well as the guideline to what it means to be human. He demonstrates both the good and bad qualities that humans obtain and show that not everything can always be all-good. In the Confessions Augustine talks about how he knows about his own imperfections. He states “At one time in adolescence I was burning to find satisfaction in hellish pleasures” (Augustine, Confessions, pg. 24). Many of his imperfections have brought a new way of thinking about the human being. In the Confessions, Augustine focuses on his autobiography and how sin comes from inside us humans. From this we have learned about the term introspective conscience and how it depicts when someone is constantly looking at him or herself and looking at the motivation to sin.

Originally written during the fourth century, St. Augustine’s autobiographical book, Confessions, was among the most influential models for Christian writers over the course of a millennium. As it is arguably Augustine’s most important text, it continues to influence theological discussion even today. Through writing Confessions, Augustine proves himself to be a professional scrutinizer. He analyzes every aspect of his own existence in pertinence to his purpose on Earth and relationship with God. Amongst the numerous topics covered in Confessions, Augustine makes exceptional mention to the role that friendship plays in his spiritual journey. In St. Augustine’s Confessions, the role of friendship is seen as both a method of ascending to God while also a being a means of drawing him further away through sin on his journey to spiritual contentment.

describes Augustine’s thoughts and opinions of how to live responsibly. Augustine believes that God is the reason for everything good that happens to one’s life, which you are to praise him for. Augustine goes through some tough situations, which he uses his life as a standard way of living or an example of what others go through in their lifetime. He plainly states on several occasions that in everything you do needs to be for the glory of God. This essay will outline the main themes referred in the passage of Book X, which are find God later in one’s life, seeking pleasure in worldly things, and understanding where the beauty of the world comes from. Also, the essay will analyze his worldview that you shouldn’t find pleasure in worldly possessions and to praise God, and how it helps others live or have a responsible life.

At this point in his life, Augustine is recognized for doing many things for the Church as a priest, author, and defender of faith. As an author he wrote Confessions, his spiritual autobiography, and City of God, his great work describing the Christian philosophy throughout history. In this magnificent work,

An essential part of Confessions is Augustine’s conversion to Christianity and his evolving understanding of good and evil. In book seven of Confessions, Augustine describes his perception of God before his conversion to Christianity. He explains that he

Augustine is a sixteen year-old boy, like all sixteen year olds he is going through puberty and trying to figure out what love is. Augustine states, "For as I became a youth, I longed to be satisfied with worldly things, and I dared to grow wild in a succession of various and shadowy loves" (24). Any young adult experiences the same things that Augustine is going through. Augustine struggled with knowing the difference between pure affection and unholy desire. He becomes ashamed of himself and goes into a spiral of sorrow. In chapter one Augustine says, "If only there had been someone to regulate my disorder and turn to my profit the fleeting beauties of the things around me" (24). Like all teenagers their parents try and tell them right from wrong but most teenagers have to learn from there own mistakes. Augustine reflects back on a quote from Apostle Paul. He realizes if he had just listened to the words more closely, he would not be in the trouble that he is in. Augustine turns to the Lord and ask what can I do and why did I do this? His parents want him to learn from his mistakes and they tell him he should make a powerful speech and become a persuasive orator. While his studies were interrupted, he had come back from a city to further his education at Carthage. His father supported him in everything even though he did not have a lot of money. Augustine 's parents told him he only had to be good at speaking. Augustine still lived with his parents and one day his father

The power of Augustine’s words lay in his vivid descriptions of his acts of sins and desires that he harnessed within him. By this, in the eyes of the public, he would place himself not as a semi-god as many would think him to be, but as a man like any other, who began his travels along the same path as everyone else. This would further send a message how other people could reach God, just as Augustine had, and created a possibility for others to follow. Augustine’s sermons must have been a sight to behold with such mastery of

In search for absolute and infinite truth within the realms and extensions of love and beauty, Augustine stumbles upon various belief systems during his pursuit of full faith. Confessions provides an autobiographical depiction of the struggles Augustine faces, and arranges a mode in which he can self-reflect and search his soul for the true origins and realities of his destined belief. Dispersion of scripture within each book shows his passionate belief that God was with and within him at all points in his life, even when worldly views and possessions disordered his being. His reading of Cicero’s Hortensius allowed for Augustine to critically analyze life through a philosophical lense, with him then delving into the Scriptures of the bible. Cicero’s works had its negative impacts as well, initially rendering Augustine unable to appreciate the Scriptures based on its unsophisticated latin prose. Rhetoric becomes a main basis in which he analyzes belief systems. Faltering over his irresponsible adolescence and education, the fallible Manichaean system, and other systems Augustine was able to dissuade such fallacies and discover the truth and fulfilment that is provided in Christianity.