AUGUSTINE AND AQUINAS

ST. AUGUSTINE

• St. Augustine was one of the first and most influential Christian philosophers.
• Augustine sought to merge philosophy and theology
• Augustine sought to use philosophy as a way to gro in his theological faith.
• He was greatly influenced by Ancient Greek philosophers.
• He credits Plato with coming closest to the Christian understanding of things.

NATURAL LAW

• Augustine introduced a hierarchy of the Natural World.
• 1. Self-Preservation
• 2. Family
• 3. Establishment of Society
• 4. Universality

SIN

• Humans' ability to conform with the Natural World has been impeded by The Fall.
• The Prelapsarian state was the state before the Fall of Man.
• The condition afterwards is known as the postlapsarian state.
• Humans are divided by sin, only God's revelation can overcome this fallen state.
• Knowledge without faith leads to pride. (Scientia)

FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS

• God created all things good.
• The Fall brought about pride, leading to evil.
• In "Confessions" he shows how the soul can overcome the Natural World.
• The soul being at peace is the ultimate goal. (R.I.P)
• Evil is not a substance, just the act of choosing the lesser good.

THE CITIES OF GOD AND MAN

• Humans are the middle level of a greater hierarchy.
• When humans are prideful they turn towards the lowest level, the Natural World.
• When humans follow the Cardinal Virtues, they turn towards God.
• The City of God is love for God.
• The City of Man is love for one's self.

MY THOUGHTS

• Augustine offers many interesting images in his works.
• His philosophies changed the Christian church.
• His idea of mixing philosophy and theology would influence many.
• Augustine encouraged man to follow their soul, to ignore pride.
• And to ultimately attain peace with God.

ST. AQUINAS

BACKGROUND

• Born in Naples, Italy.
• Joined Dominican Order.
• "Angelican Doctor" "Dumb Ox"
• Led Aristotelian Revival in the Middle Ages.
• Studied with Albert the Great.

WORKS

• Worked to apply newly recovered philosophy to Christianity.
• What can and can't be demonstrated by reason without revelation.
• Argued for the existence of God.
• Argued knowledge is revealed to us by God.
• The ends of God surpass reason.

HUMAN WISDOM THEORY

• Ethics is lowest form of the wisdom pyramid.
• Politics is the second level.
• Philosophy is the third level.
• Theology is the top level, due to it being related to God.
• To Aquinas, God surpasses reason, and by default, Philosophy.

FAITH ABOVE SCIENCE

• Faith and reason are valid in their own realms.
• Philosophy is more certain than lower sciences.
• This is due to Faith dealing with God, infallibility.
• Faith calls on philosophy to clarify its teachings.

THE 5 PROOFS

• The 5 Proofs of God.
• Aquinas' method of showing the certainty of God.
• Proofs based in arguments he has with others.
• The Summa Theologica.
• Cant be argued by non-believers, to know the proofs, you must believe.

PROOF #1: MOTION

• Potentiality to actuality.
• Every movement requires actuality.
• This chain of movement can't be infinite.
• Must be a first mover; this must be God.
• You can see influence from Aristotle here. (Unmoved Mover)

PROOF #2: NATURE OF EFFICIENT CAUSE

• Efficiency can't be self-caused.
• Every cause leads to an effect.
• The first cause can't be limited, as it is the reason for all effects.
• This first effecient cause is God.

PROOF #3: POSSIBILITY AND NECCESITY

• In nature, we find evidence of things being and not being.
• It's not possible to be and not be at the same time.
• If it's possible to not be, at one point the only existence was what was Actual.
• The Actuality is what is Necessary, a greater cause that caused us.
• This greater cause caused our necessity, we call this God.

PROOF #4: CHANGE

• Potential for good exists in all.
• The "more" or "less" is subjective.
• Fire comes from extreme heat.
• God comes from extreme good/existence.
• By default, God is the cause of good.

PROOF #5: GOVERNANCE OF THE WORLD

• Humans pursue intelligence as a means to an end.
• God uses intelligence to move man.
• This movement is towards God.
• Thus completing the cycle intelligence starts.

MY THOUGHTS

• Aquinas merges the work of Ancient Greek philosophers with the Church.
• Theology and philosophy work together in his works.
• Aquinas offers interesting vantage points on his view of the existence of God.
• Aquinas' incorporation of thought into theology changed the faith.