The opinions of st augustine upon human nature

Augustine, Human Nature

Augustines view of human nature is deeply pessimistic Discuss.

St . Augustine’s view of human nature is primarily based upon St . Paul in Romans 7, which in turn states, ‘for I have a desire to do good, but I am unable to carry it out’, suggesting that people are fragile creatures that require saving by God’s forgiveness and solution. His theodicy attempts to resolve the Inconsistent Triad (originally conceived by Epicurus), and hypothesises that following the fall (Post-Lapsarian), implying that our human nature is inherently corrupt- which is a similar point of view to College students such as: Swinburne and Nuihbur, and arguably pessimistic because they are saying that we are constantly ‘dragged down’ by bad thing. However , this viewpoint is within stark comparison with Dawkins and Irenaeus for example.

On the one hand, Augustine’s view of human nature is deeply pessimistic because he asserted that prior to Fall (Genesis 3), there was clearly a ‘time of harmony’ where Hersker and Eve were entirely obedient to God, when they viewed disobedience, the rest of mankind was ‘creation ex nihilo’- meaning they were made from nothing and can possibly choose if to act morally or certainly not, which will ultimately make up each of our human nature and what kind of people we are. Therefore , in this feeling, his perspective is deeply pessimistic, because Original Sin- 2nd Death (inherited death as treatment for the rebellion of Adam and Eve), implies that there is a ‘chain of catastrophes, when compared to various other views such as that of Pelagius who argues that it will be unjust for God to sentence us pertaining to something out of control- as he is definitely omnibenevolent. This is Augustine clearly highlighting that there is no room for exception (except pertaining to Jesus) in regards to us being predestined to get inherently guilty, so performs this mean that regardless of good each of our human nature can be, it is eventually unavailing if (like Plato), he says a human can be nothing more than a soul within a body, getting dragged down by desprovisto (Neoplatonism)?

More over, perhaps Augustine’s view of human nature is rather optimistic due to the fact that in his ‘Enchiridion’, he states that evil does not actually exist in human nature, it truly is simply a privation of good (‘Privatio Boni’). Taking this thought further, this can be perhaps far more comforting for people, knowing that they are not bad in mother nature, but simply need to try harder to increase the quantity of good in their nature. Furthermore, according to Augustine, The almighty has already predestined us through ‘election’, and shown elegance to some people on Earth, which hints at lots of optimism as it suggests that the excellent done by many is not really in vain, and they will get salvation inspite of the original trouble of which they inherited. Yet , in contrast to the viewpoints of Irenaeus and Biblicists for instance , this is deeply pessimistic due to the fact that Genesis you explains that ‘we are manufactured in the image of God’, which means that our mother nature must automatically be sketched towards many advantages, if it decorative mirrors that of Goodness, as well as ‘Imago Dei’ by simply Irenaeus and therefore we have a good bond with God.