Augustines Confessions
At the end of Book V, where does Augustine say that his allegiance lay? With the Manichees? The philosophers? The Catholics? The skeptics?
- by the end of Book 5 Abrose has definitely influenced Augustine's beliefs bringing him closer to christianity -hes not fully convinced quite yet he is still interested with the Academics (skeptics) -breaks things off fully with the Manichees
What did he enjoy to learn as a kid?
-A Liked Latin literature as a boy, did not like Greek -Liked Virgil; didn't like Homer -didnt like vegan literature bc
How did Augustine come to know Ambrose? Who, incidentally, was Ambrose? What was the effect of Ambrose's preaching upon Augustine?
-A moves to milan because his students in rome suck and have a lack of respect for knowledge and education and a job position opens up in milan -this marks the end of As association w Manatcheas -Ambrose is a Christian Bishop -A wanted to see what the big deal is about this dude and he's not impressed by how he speaks but he is influenced by what he says -He explains Old Testament in non-literal way, which was how Augustine read the thing initially -now sees how Christianity can stand up to Manichaeism. -Makes Augustine really think that christianity might be true
At the beginning of the book, how does Augustine describe his state of mind at his 29th year?
-A says that he has lost all faith and hope in discovering truth -He no longer believes in Manicheasim but also doesn't really believe in anything else either except maybe the Academics (skeptics) -The more he reads the more he feels like he doesn't actually know what truth is this is why he feels his only alliance can be left with the skeptics because they say you can't really know anything with certainty. if you believe this you abandon search for truth
In chapters 6-7, Augustine explains his attitude toward belief. What was it? How does he think belief is related to philosophy?
-A starts to become more open to the idea of belief without certainty and proof -He initially wanted this idea to be proven to him but Ambrose says that not everything has to be proven -this is how its related to philosophy bc they try to prove everything
Why did Augustine want to be baptized as a child? Why was he not so baptized? Does A think he should have gotten baptized as a child?
-A wanted to be baptized when he was sick because he thought he was going to die but he decided against it when he got better -in those times getting baptized meant that you were ready to lead a life with out any sin, wasn't ready for that when he got better -mom says that he shouldn't get baptized till he gets more sin out of his system -Feels he should have gotten baptized sooner but understands that he is a phat sinner
What was the state of mind of Augustine and his friends during this period in Milan? What seemed to be their hopes? Their fears?
-A=materialist only thought of God in materialistic ways -State of mind=they all want to sit around and philosophize about things forever -he remembers his original passion for seeking truth -Augustine in love with the idea of happiness but is scared he will loose it when he finds/ seeks for truth bc truth is unknown
In ch. 17, par. 23, esp. after the indentation, Augustine speaks of an ascent. What are the stages in this ascent?
-Always moving up the latter going towards the better -physical body-->Soul--->Souls inner power--->Higher reasoning----> the source of Higher reasoning -This is the idea that the human mind has a direct apprehension of the divine -essentially human mind and reach/understand divine eventually
How did Augustine manage to help his friend Alypius? Did his unintended lesson to Alypius stick? What is the other "lesson" of Alypius that Augustine recounts? Why do you think he tells us so much about Alypius?
-Alypius= obsess and addicted to gladiator games and gambling -Alypius goes to one of A's classes where he gives an analogy using the Games and ally's thinks he's talking about him/ right to him so he quits the games and his addiction -later his friends make him go again, he thinks he can handle it but gets addicted all over again
Who was Antony? What role does Athanasius's Life of Antony play in the story of Ponticianus about his two friends becoming monks?
-Antony=egyptian monk read books and decided it would benefit them more to live for God than for the Emperor
What are the problems that Augustine says that he faces in calling upon God for help in writing this book?
-Anyone searching for God will find him and praise him cause duh he's rad -but first people need to hear/ know about him before they start to look for him -Humans are creatures made in the image of God by God but are turned away from him because of sin. -2 key concepts of human nature: you have made us for you, the heart of us is restless
Why was Augustine impressed with the philosophers? On what grounds does Augustine criticize them (pars. 3-6)?
-Astronomy= Natural Philosophy, makes him doubt manachees because of Astrological predictions -Manichees thought that eclipses would happen because a fight of good and evil but natural philosophers disproved that with math -evidentiary support he needed to stop believing -Science/philosophy= Non religious and manatchees were religious -criticized their pride
Where is Augustine at the beginning of Book III? How does he characterize himself at this time?
-Augustine is in carthage -describes city as sinful -feels he is ready for physical and emotional love -says that he is in love with love; passionate about being passionate -reminds us of book 9 in the republic tyrannical soul-stung by great winged drone of Aros -opposite of tyranny is aristocracy philosophy vs tyranny
How, presumably, did Augustine first attempt to express his desires as an infant? Does he think that he was sinful in his infancy? Was his behavior meritorious?
-Augustine said that crying expressed desire or need for something -yes behavior is sinful however it is okay for a baby to throw tantrums like such but it is unacceptable as an adult -story of 2 brothers w same mother: theres a concern that the older brother will harm the younger brother when he first comes home because of envy and not enough love -corrupted innocence
What was Augustine studying during these years? Which author especially inspired him? Why? Why did A not continue to follow that author?
-Augustine studied eloquence and rhetoric - Hortensius by Ciscero's was especially inspiring -Liked how he wrote the book, it was beautiful but also because it encourages him to seek truth -didn't continue following cicero bc he wasn't christian and didn't reference God
All in all the main things that go down in book 3 is: that A was inspired by cicero but ended up in Manichean Materialism
-Became more interested in philosophy and seeking truth after reading the beautiful writing of Cicero but doesn't stick with text because he doesn't talk about God at all -He turns to the new testament but it is stylistically too simple and not worth compared to Cicero -Turns to manichees=not as eloquent as cicero but better than scripture. -liked it because they wrote about Christ -very eclectic group of ppl, they didn't like old test. bc they read it too literally -liked the new test. because of light and dark image in John
Augustine then speaks about another book, Aristotle's Categories. He read that book and understood it easily, he says. But why did that book not help him to understand God and beauty?
-Because you can't put God into categories - 1st Category=Figure/image -9 Categories= how/ what the relationship the substances have with each other --This did him Harm -Tried to see or understand world in these terms as if they are inherently true but didn't/couldn't consider God into these categories and thus aren't true
Augustine says toward the end of par. 26 that he believes that God wanted him to encounter the books of the platonists before studying the scriptures. Why does he think this?
-Better to read these book first before scripture bc it helped him not take the scripture so literally but it was also written in like a logical way -non-christian philosophers showed him the way towards christianity he saw this as god being in everything even non christian things
Did A's father help him in this time when he was dominated by sexual desire? His mother? His companions?
-Dad is supportive of his sexual desires bc excited at the prospect of grandchildren -mom kind of upset about it and goes on telling him not to go stealing anybodies wives. but didn't try stopping him very much either. had free reign to do a lot -friends supportive and just like him they're all bragging about who they've slept with and A makes up stories to seem cooler
Augustine speaks of a book he once wrote on beauty, a book that has been lost. He especially speaks about the man to whom he dedicated the book. Why did A dedicate the book to this man? What did A hope to gain for himself by so dedicating this book?
-Dedicates to Hiereus because he was well liked and popular at the time -Dedicated it to him so that it would sell -Talks about inherent beauty and beauty of virtue
What does A. say that he did not learn from the Platonists?
-Didn't learn that the word became flesh: jesus never existed as the embodiment of God
How did Augustine begin to express himself in boyhood? How did A like to spend his time as a child?
-Expressed himself by speaking well -Liked sports and games but sometimes cheated in order to win
What is Augustine trying to explain with his image of the large sponge?
-God=infinite/ perfect/unchangeable; God's creation(us)=finite/ changeable/ corruptible -God=sea (infinate but able to be conceptualized under one idea/word) -Sponge=creation; filled with every bit of sea God fills everything his is in all of his creation
What is the dream that A's mother has about him? How does A interpret that dream? who does she seek advice? whats the advice?
-Has a dream he son is a ruler, meets a stranger and tells him that she's distraught that A is not a christian Stranger saying that hell be with her wherever she is, fines A standing behind her on the platform -try's really hard to keep converting him -Interprets God acting through Monica -Goes to a bishop, says he shouldn't be forced to convert, leave him be
What, according to ch. 18, par. 24, made it impossible for Augustine to accept Christianity at this time?
-He could not embrace the fact that Jesus was the mediator between God and Man -This was because that is what the plutonists believed; the idea that Jesus was not the embodiment of God in flesh, there was no evidence in there text as such and this is why he didn't fully accept christianity
Despite Nebridius's argument, Augustine says that one doubt continued to perplex him. What was that problem? Why was he not satisfied with the Manichean solution to this problem?
-He felt that if God was Good and he made the human soul in the image of himself then where does evil come from? -Manichee's said that they humans=victims of evil rather than producers of evil he didn't think this to be correct -M's=Evil is external source inflicted upon ppl
Did A steal the pears because they were beautiful? Was he hungry? Did he want to sell them? What was A's motive in stealing the pears? Why did he do it?
-He stole the pears just to steal the pears, essentially threw them out right afterward too -said he wouldn't have done it if his peers weren't there, kids are easily influenced by outside factors -A says that usually crimes have a motive -no motive for stealing the pears; evil for evil's sake -Garden of eden???
How did Augustine earn a living during these years from age 19 to 28? What was he up to when he wasn't working?
-He taught Rhetoric -He was keeping a concubine staying faithful to her and pursuing truth
How did A. understand Christ at this time? How was Alypius's understanding of what the Church taught? Why was that understanding an obstacle to Alypius?
-He thought of christ as a very smart man; thought of God as Divine but not Jesus -Alypius shared the Apulinarian view that Christ was shaped into a human only having divine characteristics so divine soul and mind (God)
What part of the scriptures did A. turn to after the Platonists? What did those scriptures teach that the Platonists did not?
-He turned to Paul -He talked about incarnation of God as christ on earth -Proves to him that God becomes human when he is on earth
What was the argument that Nebridius had made against that (Manichean) conception of God?
-How can a human soul have corruption if God made the human soul -This means God is corrupt
What was A ignorant of that would have enabled him to avoid the snares of the Manicheans?
-Ignorant of understanding God and the old testament on a deeper level cause he kept thinking of them materialistically
In the first chapter, Augustine says that he is aware that many may deride him for what he will confess in this book, but he proceeds anyway. Who are the laughers? Why does he go ahead despite their mockery?
-Laughers= manicheans and non christians - all about worldly pursuits and he knew they were wrong so he wanted salvation
in beginning of book 2, what does Augustine say his goal in it will be?
-Love God more because he is confessing his sins of the flesh and more
How does Mani's ignorance of natural science tell against his piety? Why does the ignorance of some others about natural science not tell against their piety? How can ignorance of natural science become an obstacle to some Christians?
-Mani's reason and rationality contradicts with faith -Mani wasn't morally wrong because he misunderstood nature, but he was morally wrong bc he was stubborn about his errors
Augustine then recounts how he fell in with a group for which he no longer has any respect. What did this group apparently hold?
-Manichaeans apparently head answers to his questions why things are why they are
Who was Faustus? Why did Augustine anticipate his arrival with excitement? Why was Augustine disappointed in him? In what way was he impressed with him?
-Manichean -Bishop but not elect but one of the OG's -A had many questions for him but he was disappointed bc he couldn't answer them, he was very inarticulate
Is Augustine any longer uncertain about God? What does cause him to waver in his commitment to the Christian faith? Why does this cause him to waver?
-Nope -Doesn't want to live a christian life bc wants to have sex and doesn't want to get married
What did Victorinus do when Julian closed the schools of the empire to Christian teaching?
-Obeyed new laws, Gave up own school of word bc christians weren't able to teach rhetoric anymore -Devoted himself to god instead -A idolized this and wanted to be like him and follow God but weighed down by lust
Beginning with par. 18, Augustine explains how the books of the platonists helped him to solve the problem of evil. What does he now say about the origin of evil?
-Origin of evil -Even Corrupt things are good (if they still have a little bit of goodness in them) because essentially everything is Good because God made -So if something is corrupted and made worse it doesn't mean that it is not still Good because it God made it and it was initially Good to begin with
Who had authority over Augustine during his boyhood? How was such authority exercised? What did these authorities want for Augustine?
-Parents and Teachers -teachers beat and whipped him if he didn't learn lessons -teachers trying to teach him to speak well (rhetoric) -Mother=christian -Father=Pegan
How does A. now understand infinity? Eternity?
-Platonic divinity is infinite, incorruptible, unchanging, and perfect
What does A tell us about his encounter with Ponticianus? That is, how did this encounter come about and what happened in the encounter?
-Ponticianus comes to A's house -notices pauls letters on the table -2 friends (secret service) go to monastery find Book about antony, the book made them realize they would get much more out of serving God than they would serving the Emperor, became monks, wife became nuns
According to A, why is there more rejoicing over what was lost and found than over what was never lost? Why was there so much rejoicing over Victorinus? Does A think this rejoicing is good or bad?
-Relates it to human pleasure -you won't find pleasure in something unless you're lacking it or are uncomfortable with out the thing first -they rejoiced a lot for v bc he was powerful -Rejoicing was Good
Augustine recounts the story of his friend from Thagaste who died of a fever. He especially analyzes his own reaction to the death of his friend. What does he say about his soul at that time? Did he want to die himself or not? What did he finally do to assuage his grief?
-Says his own soul can't answer the questions he asks him and lost trust in God - No he did not want to kill himself but very depressed -everything in Thagaste looked like death after friend died -He leaves for carthage to deal with grief
The book concludes with the famous "conversion scene." What are the salient features of this account? How is this conversion story similar to or different from the other conversions discussed in the book?
-Struggles with whether or not he wants to b a married celibate christian, God heals him so he can be Celibate -Occurs in milan, the monk story is important for conversion, Shows the choice augustine has, To live a monistic life or no? -Very emotional, cries under fig tree, Opens scripture and believes that specific one has a message for him
What moral teachings are apparently valid always and everywhere? What sort can change according to circumstances?
-Teachings that are always valid are ones involving Violent crimes as opposed Crimes that don't harm people -Eternal Law and Relative Law (laws that govern the whole) -teaching change according to circumstances and time: animal sacrifices -goes back to old testament why Man did
What did Augustine learn about Genesis 1:26, the passage about man being made in the image of God? How had he understood this passage previously?
-Understands that the soul is made in the image of God -Ambrose explains that it is not literally the image of God but "image" is referring to the soul -god might not have hair and nails but he has a mind and is good
At the end of Book IV, Augustine comes back around to the liberal arts, and his learning generally. Are A's intellectual abilities of any use to him at this time? Who, lacking intellectual ability, seem to be further along than A at this time?
-What good is smarts and education if you cannot understand God -very easy for A to understand the 10 categories of Augustine
Augustine speaks of the problem of matter in ch. 5, par. 7. What was the problem that matter presented to his thinking about creation?
-Where did evil come from and why did God not get rid of it initially since he is the creator of everything? -Perceives evil as matter and material; if everything is extended in space and time and evil is something; evil must be matter and thus youre able to sense evil
At the end of par. 19, Augustine speaks of his "error." What was his basic error? Why did he make it? What sorts of consequences extended from this initial error?
-academics started to turn A against seeking truth of God -Has a hard time understanding that God doesn't have a physical Body -Keeps thinking of him materialistically and this is his error
Augustine discusses his attitude toward soothsayers and astrologers. Why did he reject soothsaying at that time? Why should Christians reject astrologers now? How did A come to have doubts about astrology even before he became a Christian? Did he reject it immediately upon beginning to doubt it?
-astrology was never proven through math -rejected soothsaying at the time bc it made you materialist and statistic and made him worship superstition -astrology doesn't worship God, worships planetary bodies -No he needed proof that it doesn't always not work that it was ultimately all up to chance, that they were making blind predictions
Why is physical perception or sensation not up to the task of grasping transient things? What if it were able to grasp all transient things? (pars. 15, and esp.17)
-fact: moratal things die -if you love your mortal friends as if they will never die you run the risk of being very very sad. -since god is immortal and transient if you love your friends through God you'll never loose them bc God is immoral -If you perception or sensation is able to do transient things you would be more delighted because you're perceiving and sensing together as a whole just like you do with material things but deeper bc w material things you can only understand the idea of it
In par. 7, what is A's view of natural science? How does the analogy of the owner of the tree explain his view?
-felt Natural Science had answers to the questions he would ask and the manatchees would not be able to answer -Could predict heavenly bodies with mathematics -critisizes the natural philosophers because of their pride -Natural science is Good if it recognizes God because without God you'll be unhappy
A especially talks about his father collecting funds to send him to school in Carthage. What does he think about his father's efforts? Why does he tell us this?
-it was difficult for A's father to collect funds to send him to school -took A out of school for a bit when he was 16 -A says his dad cared more about him having an articulate son than his son's soul
The stage of Augustine's life now to be discussed is adolescence and his "erupting puberty." What does Augustine say would have been best for him at this time?
-it would have been best for him to marry young because that way he would be having sex for the reason it was intended for and not just to go crazy
Their work is today frequently referred to as "Neoplatonism." What does it seem that Augustine learned from the books of these Platonists?
-learned: God created the world in logos or the word -God=identical to the word -Faith and reason go together -learned about spirituality of the word
Why was A so captivated by the theater? Why does he criticize himself so for being captivated?
-loved the theater specifically tragedies because you experience compassion and pity for the characters -plays usually about hot young ppl "chasing beautiful bodies" -characters usually die in order to evoke emotion -criticizes bc imitation in art; and encourages an love for sorrow and pain
in the debates between Augustine and his friends, what is being discussed about marriage? What seems to be the alternative life they consider for themselves? Why do their plans fall through?
-marriage is good but it distracts them from each other and they wouldn't be able to philosophize as much -Alypius is not into sex and dent feel okay doing it without being married -A says Marriage is not about love all about lust
What was Monica's attitude toward Ambrose? What was Augustine's attitude?
-monica worshiped him like an angel -Stopped doing the maryter celebrations when he asked because they were began -A respects the dude, asks him a lot of questions where as monica just does what she is told by him illustrates 2 types of christian practices sophisticated and unsophisticated -Ambrose is celibate
What is the correct stance with respect to the love of physical things? What seems to have been A's mistake in loving transient things?
-physical things don't last forever and loving material things will just end in misery -if its not in God you will end sad -
What was the basic mistake about Beauty that Augustine now sees that he made in that book? (Par. 24)
-pleased Augustine because it pleased others. never actually knew this beauty but made is judgements off of the judgements of others (this is Wrong)
How did Augustine finally make a complete break with astrology? Why, incidentally, does he talk about astrology at this point in the work?
-reasons that ppl were born on same day and time and don't live the same lives so astrology must be false= all up to chance
What are the main heads of sin? From when do they "swarm forth"?
-revenge, theft, envy, and finding pleasure in someones suffering -swarm forth from: (rationality) lust of eye, Lust of the senses (flesh/desire), and Lust for being Best (spirituality/ ambition)
All in all Book 4 the big thing is that: Vindicianus warns A against the astrologers
-says astrology can explain some things but its really all up to chance
Which text did A turn to next? Why did he not stay with this text?
-scriptures -didn't keep with it because they're poorly written compared to cicero -back then christianity was for lesser lower class so it wasn't appealing
In the "prologue" at the beginning of Book V, what does Augustine say is his rationale for his "confessions"? Is it to inform God of what has happened to him? For whose benefit are these confessions?
-sinners can't hide from God because God is everywhere -Calls his confessions a sacrifice -reason is to get closer to God -they were his own benefit
How does habit weigh one down like sleep?
-sleep is his passion for sex he knows it bad but he can't help it -is held back by it as much as he sleeps
What was Augustine's relationship to the Manicheans when he first came to Rome?
-still hangs out with the Manichees and follows their belief that it's not people who sin, but the bad matter within people that makes them sin. -losing steam for Manichees -starts veering toward philosophers called the Academics, who basically say that we can't really know anything for certain (skeptics)
In the first two paragraphs, Augustine explains with some completeness what his idea of God had been up until then. How was he thinking about God? What made him think about God in this way?
-struggles with the idea that God isn't made of anything -tries to justify it by saying that God is like Air able to be everywhere but that donate work bc that would mean bigger things would contain more God -Sea sponge-multicellular kind of alive kind of not
About half-way through Book IV, Augustine begins a lengthy and profound meditation upon death and beauty that is inspired by his early love for this friend who died. In what way is the passing of things into and out of existence similar to speech?
-trust in God and you won't be bound by time or bodily experience. Instead, you will experience everything whole, like how a sentence only means something once you've put all the sounds together.
Why were Augustine's friends telling him to go to Rome? Why was he interested in going to Rome? How did Monica feel about the move to Rome?
-wanted to go to rome because the students in carthage were rowdy but its really just God creating motivation for A to get closer him -Mother is really overbearing, and basically follows him to the harbor begging him not to go, he lies and says he's waiting to leave but really leave in middle of night when she's asleep -can't stop crying -but she doesn't know that by sending Augustine away, God is going to answer her prayers.
What year was he born?
354 A.D.
Academics
=skeptics because we don't have any davinitive proof of anything nothing is certain. barely influences but helps him realize that he's being silly bc he's being like the academics when he keeps looking for God's validity so stops and just starts believing and faith A: You can't know anything but I know about God
Augustine embarks upon some intriguing reflections on a beggar. What point is he trying to make about himself with this meditation?
A realizes that even though the bigger is poor and has nothing and is drunk at least he is happy -he reflects upon himself bc he's not happy and doesn't want to give this speech and he questions why we do things that don't make us happy!
What had the Manicheans argued about hesitation in the human will? How does Augustine attempt to refute this argument?
A's Q: why can't we will our mind like we will our limbs -M's=2 forces good and bad pulling on you when making decisions -A's Arg: more than 2 wills pulling on you, but if you are devoted to God you're free and theres nothing pulling you every which way
Which continent was he born and raised?
Africa
Book 1
Art, Especially Poetry; Education
What was his job while writing the confessions?
Bishop of hippo
Platonists
Came from greeks More so Philosophical We only see images of things everybody has their own truths plationist helped him understand that there isn't a material god, God doesn't inhabit space and time
Book 6
Crisis of Reason; unwillingness of truth belief; Better friends; Providence and friendship
What language did he write this book in?
Latin
Book 8
Marriage Vs. Celibacy; Conversion To Celibacy
Book 3
More on art (theatre); The danger of sympathy; first encounter with philosophy; first encounter with reading scripture; The fall into materialism in the form of Manicheanism
Typological Exgesis
Moses parted the sea to free the isrealites from egypt -passing through water to life is a representation of baptism in life -why its important: old testament have literal sense but symbolic events that occur that you have to understand analytically in order to understand the New testament
Book 9
Retreat and study of the music of the psalms; the music in Milan; monica's story
Where was augustine born and raised?
Thagaste
Book 2
The corruption of desire; The difficulty of explaining sin (why did he steal pears?)
Manichaeans
Took bible VERY literally when attacking scripture Materialists- never got to the point to which they thought whoever created the world is a higher power believed in divine things but they were limited weren't all powerful use astrology- random predictions -saw God as material cluster of eastern religions, christianity, and astrology -Manichees didn't believe in the trinity didn't believe that jesus was divine
Book 4
Transient friendship; Transient beauty
Who was Victorinus? What story does Simplicianus tell about him?
Victorinus-translated platoons books from Greek to Latin Simplicianus-Mentor to Ambrose Story: V=very intelligent, believed in pegging Egyptian Gods bc it was trendy at the time, started believing in christianity, was told it doesn't mean anything if he doesn't go to church, got scared god will deny him so he professed his faith
Book 7
What was he thinking before and after reading the books of the plutonists; what the the books taught him what they did not teach him; Reading Paul after plutonists; relationship between faith and reason; Intellectual conversation
Book 5
natural philosophers and faith; Ambrose and the new understanding of the "image" in Genesis
Natural Philosophers
scientists astronomy vs astrology astronomers use math to predict shit like eclipses thought it was cool helped him realize that Manichaeans and astrology is shit because it can be predicted and proven
