Lecture 4: Philosophy and Augustine Ann T. Orlando March 21, 2007

Philosophical Background Athenian Philosophy Before Alexander the Great ( BC)  Socrates and Plato: Platonism (and indirectly skepticism); Academy  Aristotle: Plato’s student, founder of Lyceum and Aristotelianism, taught Alexander Hellenistic Philosophy (see Acts 17:18)  Epicurus, fought in Alexander’s army; opposed to Plato, founder of Epicureanism; the Garden  Zeno: opposed to Epicurus, founder of Stoicism; the Stoa Neoplatonism centered in Alexandria 250 CE Note that ancient philosophy was considered a way of life; not an academic discipline Catholic Christianity has always used contemporary philosophical methods as the language of theology and as an aid to interpret the Bible; philosophy as the handmaid of theology. Example: Virtue

Platonism Happiness is found in choosing the good and the beautiful Uncertain whether virtue is learned or gift of gods The physical world is only a shadow of the real world Socrates always searching for knowledge (but does he ever find it?) God is not material

Aristotle Aristotelianism Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue Virtue is the mean between two vices as a prudent man would define it Knowledge leads to virtue; exceptional people can make themselves virtuous Keen interest in the physical world; especially systems of classification ‘Metaphysics’ is Aristotle’s treatment of ethics; it occurs in his works ‘after physics’ God as prime mover and as the end (telos)

Stoicism Happiness is following the will of God God everywhere, god as logos (rational necessity); god as a type of gas that permeates everything His providence rules everything (see Acts 17:28) Ethics based on following God’s plan for you; no free will; emphasis on virtues; judgment by God after death Natural law as part of Providence’s eternal law Passions are to be subordinated to intellect Allegorical interpretation of Greek myths Dominant philosophy of Roman Empire Seneca, Epictitus, Marcus Aurelius

Epicureans God or gods are uninterested in created world Free will; not bound by ties of family or duty No life after death Ethics based on pleasure Science and technology very important; based on random motion of atoms Justice based upon contractual agreements Opposed to allegory and prophecy as a way of knowing Favored philosophy of intellectual Romans who wanted to withdraw from society Women encouraged to join as full members of schools Lucretius, Philodemus Roundly condemned by all other philosophies; early rabbinic word for atheist is derived from Epicurus

Justin Martyr ( ) Justin and his Christian school at Rome seems to have been very well known Justin used many Stoic concepts in his apologies (he was, after all writing at time of Marcus Aurelius) Emphasized Christ as Logos One of the earliest descriptions of liturgy

Tertullian ( ) Born in Carthage, North Africa; trained as a lawyer First Latin theologian; much of vocabulary of theological Latin originated with him; but also wrote some works in Greek Vehement works against Marion and gnostics More works extant from him than any other 2nd C author Critical influence on Cyprian (3 rd C) and Augustine (4 th C) Questioned some (but not all) use of philosophy in theology, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem”

Christian ‘Systematic’ Theologian: Origen ( ) Born in Alexandria; towering giant over Eastern theology; many debates trace to how to interpret Origen May have studied in same philosophical classes as Plotinus; also knew St. Clement of Alexandria Traveled extensively, including to Rome and met with Hippolytus Wrote:  an apology, Contra Celsum  Many Biblical commentaries, including on OT books  Biblical scholarship: Hexapla comparing Hebrew, and several different versions of Greek OT (not extant)  Different ways to interpret bible, especially OT allegorically (debt to Philo, 1 st C Alexandrian Jew)  ‘systematic’ presentation of Christianity: On First Principles Suffered persecution during Decius reign, eventually died from wounds

New Philosophical Development: Neoplatonism Plotinus ( ) Alexandria, pagan philosopher  Considered himself a Platonist; wanted to defend Plato against gnostics  Knowledge of the One is available to everyone  Steps to achieve spiritual unity with the One  Material world is not bad (but not complete; completion only in the One) Most important philosophical statement as solution of theodicy problem: Evil is the absence of a good that should be there (see definition of evil in CCC) Most important Christian theologian influenced by Plotinus: Augustine

Importance of Augustine to Western Theology Cannot Be Overstated For Western Christianity, he is the most important theologian from this period  Arguably the most important theologian from any period Every serious Western theologian after Augustine must in some way ‘deal’ with Augustine Augustine was the standard for doctrinal truth and theological method throughout the Middle Ages Aquinas (13 th C) runs into trouble because  He seems to abandon Augustine’s theological method (Neoplatonism) for Aristotlianism  But also because of primacy of intellect over will  Open any page of ST and see number of references to Augustine Renaissance ‘starts’ when Petrarch reads the Confessions In Reformation Luther and Calvin claim Augustine for themselves in opposition to Scholasticism Augustine is patron saint of Jansenists, Augustinus Enlightenment rejection of Christianity is specifically a rejection of Augustine Existentialists of 20 th C continue campaign specifically against Augustine; Albert Camus The Plague Thomas Merton Seven Story Mountain Freeman’s Closing of the Western Mind ‘blames’ Augustine (and Catholicism in general) for loss of reason in Western world until Enlightenment Pope Benedict XVI has defined himself, and is often referred to as, an Augustinian theologian

Critical and Defining Issues for Augustine Theodicy Relation between human nature and God’s grace Epistemology Primacy of love;  Man as a social being who should be completely motivated by properly ordered loves  “Love and do whatever you will”  Importance of friendship Heresies that Augustine argued against  Arianism  Donatism  Manichaeism  Pelagianism

Donatism Started c. 313 in North Africa, named for a Christian Bishop in North Africa who protested the ordination of presbyters by a lapsed bishop What is the relationship of the minister to the sacrament? Does the validity of the sacrament depend on the personal virtue of the minister? However, this issue continued to be hotly contested; leading to the Donatist movement in North Africa Wanted the Church to be the ‘Church of the Pure’ especially the ministers

Augustine Against Donatists More Donatist Christians in North Africa than Catholic Christian Donatist tried to assassinate Augustine Augustine gives clearest statement of Catholic Church position: :  the validity of the sacrament is independent of the personal spiritual state of the minister  Because of original sin, no one is ‘pure’ all need forgiveness

Controversy over Sex and Marriage Control of passions was important aspect of all philosophical schools of time, including Epicureanism Manichees (like many gnostic sects) opposed to sex because part of evil, corporeal world Jovinian, Priest in Rome, contemporary of Jerome  Virgins and married women are of same merit after Baptism if they do the same works  Everyone born again in Baptism cannot be overthrown by devil  No difference in abstaining from food and receiving it in thanksgiving  There is one reward in heaven for all who are baptized Jerome writes a refutation of Jovinian that is so anti-marriage that Jerome’s friends in Rome try to confiscate it Jerome (NOT AUGUSTINE) “ The only reason to marry and have sex is to create more virgins”

Augustine and Sex Augustine wrote On the Goods of Marriage as the middle way between Jerome and Jovinian While viewing virginity as the better way of life, Augustine also recognized several types of ‘goods’ in marriage:  Procreation  Good of fidelity and unity  Sacrament Sexual lust is a result of Fall Sin of Adam and Eve infected human nature

Summary of Books IV-VI Book IV  Teacher of rhetoric  Takes a mistress, [IV.ii]  Opposed to astrologers,  Death of a friend who converts on death bed; description of grief [IV.iv]  Writes a book, On Fitting and Beautiful (no longer extant)  Does not think Aristotle’s Categories important [IV.xvi] Book V  Discovers that Manichees get astronomy wrong, therefore entire faith in them is shaken [V.v]  Goes to Rome to find fame and fortune; deceives Monica  Trifles with being an Academic (skeptic)  Goes to Milan to give an address before the Emperor;  Goes to hear Ambrose preach because of his reputation as an orator [V.xiii]  Becomes a Catholic catechumen by ‘default’ Book IV (Augustine is 30)  Monica joins him in Milan  Ambrose forbids Monica to go to tomb of martyrs  Ambrose explains how to understand the OT: allegory  Alypius addicted to shows and circus; falsely accused of theft  Augustine cannot be celibate  Monica arranges socially advantageous a marriage to a young girl;  Monica forces long time mistress to return to Africa, leaving behind Augustine’s son, Adeodatus; Augustine immediately gets another mistress  Briefly considers becoming an Epicurean

Book VII Stoic concept of God filling universe What is evil? Importance of the Platonists (that is, Neoplatonists, Plotinus) Approaches love of God; but weight of sexual habit diverts him from God. Rejection of Christological heresies What the Platonists don’t have: Christ Note importance of Paul (especially Romans) in these chapters

Book VIII Accepts truth of Church Gives up ambition, but still tied to sex Hears story of conversion of famous pagan philosopher, Victorinus Servitude to passion, habit (vice) is formed Reads Life of Antony Wants to become God’s friend “God grant me chastity, but not yet” Conversion in the garden

Book IX Augustine rejects his own will and desires God will Leaves teaching Remedy of the sacraments Goes to Cassiciacum with friends, Adeodatus, and Monica, {writes Against the Academics and On the Happy Life} Still has difficulty understanding some parts of OT: Isaiah Baptism with Adeodatus Monica stands with Ambrose to fight the Arians Story of Monica; addicted to wine Mystical experience of Augustine and Monica Monica’s death Augustine addresses reader: pray for Patrick and Monica at the altar

Summary of Books X - XIII Book X (longest book)  Augustine’s Confession [X.ii]  Lord stir the hearts of those who read about my sins [X.iii; X.iv]  The power of memory  What is the happy life: joy based on truth  Late have I loved You, beauty so old and so new, late have I loved You  Still troubled by sexual temptations which live in his memory; problem with gluttony Book XI  What is time?  Created time and God’s eternity meet in Christ Book XII  Relationship between Platonic formless matter and creation ex nihilo  Interpretation of Genesis 1:1  What does it mean for Moses to be the ‘author’ of Scripture, what did Moses have in mind?  Scripture speaks to inner ear Book XIII  How to understand the Trinity? Being, knowing, willing  ‘Heaven and earth’ allegorical interpretation: spiritual and carnal members of Church  Adam’s sin [XIII.xx] resulted in coming of Jesus Christ  True rest is only found in God

Assignments Read Books VII – IX Write one-page paper CCC385, ; Definition of evil