Read the passages from the Confessions given to you in class.
Identify 5 major themes found in the passages. Post your 5 themes in the comments section of this posting. Explain why you think each theme is a MAJOR theme; use quotes to back-up your claim. If working in pairs, only one posting is necessary but please include your partner's name at the top of the posting.
Devin Viola
ReplyDelete1. Desire- it says to desire you is the desire of man. Man also desires knowledge and understanding.
2.Hierarchy between God and man- "Do heaven and earth contain you because you have filled them? or do you fill them and overflow them because they do not contain you?" Also the the Hierarchy between men and boys.
3.Material vs Non-material- in a sleeping state you can see the same things in a dream compared to reality when the object can use the senses.
4. Mind and Body- you can see it and recognize the object with the mind but the body cannot physically sense it.
5. Knowledge- whether or not you know what an object is and how you know and understand what the object is through experience.
Luke kinter
ReplyDeleteThemes
Loving God: Says that everyone wants to praise God because it is the "desire of man." This is a major theme because Augustine is a catholic so this plays a big part in all of his philosophies.
Existence of evil: Says that "evil has no existence except as a privation of good."
This means that evil is necessary for us just like good is also necessary.
4 perturbations: All are needed to be felt. They reside in past memories.
Memory: Says that "memory is present to itself through itself and not through its own image" This means that memory is only a memory because it is and not because it exists somewhere else.
Souls: Says that "thirst after you and appear before you." This means that the soul existed before us and it will exist even after we die. Like plate believed.
1.Idea of Evil
ReplyDeleteAugustine's idea is that evil itself doesn't exists but rather is a state of just having less good in ones soul. When in mass the person is able to feel the whole good that is from God since he is one whole. Is thinking links the idea of God being one perfect thing.
Brad Barron
ReplyDeleteThe first theme is the hierarchy of beings, because it defines the foundation of humanity. "Man, a little piece of your creation, desires to praise you, a human being 'bearing his mortality with him'" this quote exemplifies the journey in which humans take in order to gain the knowledge of God. Humanity desires something greater than something of the physical world.
The second theme is evil, which in essence is the absence of good. Augustine goes on to say that evil does not have a tone physical being, but an idea that humans label to cope with the bad. Evil is used to take responsibility for the freak things the just bad things that happen from chance.
The third theme is memory, and memory is the ability for recollection of past experience within human thought. In the confessions Augustine says he does not know where he squires information from, just that he has it. This connects to his theory of illumination because it taps into the unknown and makes it become known through God. "So they were there even before I had learnt them, but we're not in my memory."
The fourth theme is the mind. This is related to the non-mental certainties, which is how the mind is limited with the senses. This is shown by "I mention the sun, when the objects themselves are not present to my senses." The mind directly comes to know when it is justified and concluded within the mind. It is not knowledgable when the senses guide it.
The fifth theme is the body, and Augustine believes the body is good. The senses are connected to the body and are good, but if one relies too much on them it can result in false knowledge and evil.
Chris Mettee
ReplyDeleteTheme 1. Evil - Problem of Evil
Augustine states that there is evil in the world because humans have free will. He says that God enables humans to choose freely, whether that be for good or for bad. Even natural evil such as disease can come from humans because of human contact.
Theme 2. Free Will And Responsibility
"I did not know that evil has no existence except privitation of good, down to that level which is altogether without being."On one side is God, who represents light and goodness and who seeks to eliminate suffering. Opposing him is Satan, who represents darkness and evil and is the cause of misery and affliction. Human beings find themselves caught in the middle of these two great forces. The only escape from evil is to free the soul from the body through the practices of asceticism and meditation.
Theme 3 - The Body and the Soul
Augustine says that since the body lives in the physical realm, it is evil. Therefore, the soul seeks to break free of the body so it can live true to its perfection.
Theme 4 - Possibility of Certitude
If there is no truth, there is no probability. Second, happiness is the result of acquired wisdom, which all human beings desire. Thus, to say wisdom cannot be attained is to say that happiness.
Theme 5 - The Imagination
Augustine says that our imagination is tied in with the things that we obtain through our senses. Therefore, our imagination deceives us because or senses deceive us.
1) faith in god- the importance of this theme is to explain that one that has faith in god has the possibility to call upon god and ask for his help. But, for one that does not have faith may call upon the wrong God. Also, it s important because without God, we would not be in existence, so would not believing in God mean you have no existence? "In seeking him they find him, and in finding him they will praise him. Lord, I will seek you, calling upon you- and calling upon you is am act of believing in you." "Accordingly, my God, I would have no being, I would not have any existence, unless you were in me. Or rather, I would have no being if I were not in you 'of whom are all things, through whom are all things, in whom are all things.'"
ReplyDelete2) the importance of the body and the soul. This theme is important because Augustine believes that we bring our body and soul together, and from this, evil can occur because we choose things of the physical world and not the eternal world, which are perfect.
3) memory. This theme is important because it shows how remembering something can be better than actually seeing something because we are using our mind which is better then using our senses because they can deceive us. "And yet again the pictures of these realities which our imagination forms are more reliable than the mythological pictures of vast and unlimited entities whose being, by an extension of our image-making of real objects, we may postulate, but which do not exist at all."
4) the theme of evil. This theme is important because it is prevalent in our lives all the time, and most humans do decide to do evil and not good mainly because it is easier or we just simply desire evil. Also evil is just simply a lack of goodness and is not truly "real." "I did not know that evil has no existence except as a privation of good, down to that level which is altogether without being."
5) reality of god. This theme is important because it tells us where the evil comes from and about god's existence and what he created and why he did. The reality of god explains much about philosophy like the Unmoved Mover and how God is basically our soul and mind and we need to be like God and always do good.
Jesse Westfall
ReplyDeleteTheme #1 Hierarchy: "Nevertheless, to praise you is the desire of man." The lord is high and powerful, we desire to praise you for it. "You have made us for yourself." Humans are forever under God's will and dominion.
Theme #2 Filling Heaven and Earth: The lord needs to be contained in many different things. "I fill Heaven and Earth." The lord is so power that he cannot be contained in just one thing. "When you are poured out upon us, you are not waisted."
Theme #3 Who are you, God?: Questioning God leads to a state of knowledge and greater understanding. "Nothing is lacking." God is not lacking in the Earth and Heaven. He is everywhere. To question that is to better see God, to have a knowledge of God. The knowledge God the, "most high, utterly good, utterly powerful", wants use to have.
Theme #4 Who will enable me to find rest in you?: "Have mercy so that I may find words." Words or the word is a sign of God. Finding the peace in the word meaning finding God's love. "What am I to you that you command me to love you" Trying to find meaning to why God calls us to his God. His word speaks to our desire to his love. "Let me die so that I may see it."
Theme #5 But you, my love, for you, my faith, that I may find strength: The lord is the life of the soul and life of lives. In the lord we find life, "Life of my soul." We rely on our body to exist but with you, we find a way to life.
Matt Wolfe
ReplyDelete1. Knowledge- We need to be open to learning about things especially in the bible. "Its meaning grows on us"
2. Memory- "and at a deep level I retained the memory." Knowledge is retained through experience. Augustine looks to scripture in order to refine God.
3. Desire/senses- people may utter false statements and we desire to find the truth, but fall into deceiving traps. "To meet my hunger, instead of you they brought a diet of the sun, and moon, your beautiful works.
4. Inward Turn- "On this theme of notions where we do not draw images rough our senses, but discern the, inwardly not through images" Augustine states that we should look towards the inward self for truth
5. Hierarchy of man and God- "in the search for God I look for God but did not find you until I made the inward turn."
Torrin hope the first theme is about the love of God. The second is a theme on evil. The third is about memory. The fourth is about the mind. And the fifth is about the body.
ReplyDeleteMartin Costes a.k.a. Socrates of the Nile
ReplyDeleteTrusting in a Higher Power- Augustine talks about calling upon a higher power and what the definition of truly believing.
Whether or not God can exist in us and wether or not higher powers have to do with the existence of human beings- he often contemplates whether or not human brings can exist without believing in God.
Whether or not God can be contained by his creation- Augustine goes on a rant for over 4 paragraphs about God not being able to be contained by his creations and uses the bible and scripture as evidence.
God's Transcendence and Immanence- the overall theme if this book is the mystery and greatness of God
Where to seek guidance, motivation, and retribution- Augustine often questions where he can find strength from God and asks certain questions about his importance and meaning to God.
1. Desire - The human mind is centered and partially rooted in desire. Desire leads the mind. Book 1 begins talking about how he was led astray by his youthful desires. "You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you".
ReplyDelete2. Religion - Religion led Augustine's later life but he was also cognizant of his religion in his earlier life. He shows this when he starts Book 1 by using Quotes from Psalm 47:2 and Psalm 146:5.
3. Evil - Augustine was highly mindful of evil. He states "I did not know that evil has no existence except as a privation of good, down to that level which is altogether without being. How could I see this when for me 'to see' meant a physical act of looking with the eyes and of forming an image in the mind?" Evil led his younger life so he was fairly adept to the idea and being of evil in the world.
4. Knowledge - Augustine was also cognizant of cognizance. Augustine says that knowledge does not come from the senses but it is simply from the essence of knowing. The mind is highly receptive but different people perceive things in different manners. Augustine states "... There are four perturbations of the mind- cupidity, gladness, fear, sadness."
5. Learning - Learning was a large part of life to Augustine. He grew up and learned to mature and make the correct decisions concerning his life. Learning coexists with knowledge.
Kai
ReplyDeleteDesire - led Augustine to praise the lord . "You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you made us for yourself."
Knowledge- led Augustine to believe everything is constantly changing. Once something is created , it immediately becomes old
Evil- Augustine says ""I did not know that evil has no existence except as a privation of good, down to that level which is altogether without being. How could I see this when for me 'to see' meant a physical act of looking with the eyes and of forming an image in the mind?" In his epistemology evil is not a substance. It is an act of itself of choosing the lesser good
Inward turn - we look to ourselves to find the truth. Away from barbaric aftermath to peace.
Religion- led Augustine's path in life. He shows this when he starts Book 1 by using Quotes from Psalm 47:2 and Psalm 146:5.
1. Desire - The human mind is centered and partially rooted in desire. Desire leads the mind. Book 1 begins talking about how he was led astray by his youthful desires. "You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you".
ReplyDelete2. Religion - Religion led Augustine's later life but he was also cognizant of his religion in his earlier life. He shows this when he starts Book 1 by using Quotes from Psalm 47:2 and Psalm 146:5.
3. Evil - Augustine was highly mindful of evil. He states "I did not know that evil has no existence except as a privation of good, down to that level which is altogether without being. How could I see this when for me 'to see' meant a physical act of looking with the eyes and of forming an image in the mind?" Evil led his younger life so he was fairly adept to the idea and being of evil in the world.
4. Knowledge - Augustine was also cognizant of cognizance. Augustine says that knowledge does not come from the senses but it is simply from the essence of knowing. The mind is highly receptive but different people perceive things in different manners. Augustine states "... There are four perturbations of the mind- cupidity, gladness, fear, sadness."
5. Learning - Learning was a large part of life to Augustine. He grew up and learned to mature and make the correct decisions concerning his life. Learning coexists with knowledge.