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Augustine Confessions Analysis

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When reading the collection of books “Confessions,” it becomes clear the Saint Augustine struggles immensely with the uncertainty of his faith. It is quite apparent that his purpose is to seek God and accept him into his life however possible, while also suggesting others to the same. Perhaps Augustine was attempting to fill a missing piece or a void throughout his life, or maybe he was undergoing certain issues in his relationships with others that he believed God could help provide guidance for. Whatever the reason, he was in search of some stability from God and religion. ‘Confessions’ is extremely well known throughout history due to its extensive insight into the comprehension of God’s mercy that is shown. The collection of books serves …show more content…

Augustine attempts to inform others about the various enjoyments life has to offer. His big argument is that people can attain true happiness by accepting God into their lives, and refrain from participating in worldly pleasures. He believes that rejecting the temptations of all worldly pleasures is essential in developing a true and fulfilling life devoted to God. The argument to be had here is that some could debate that Augustine’s strict views of steering clear of the pleasures our world has to offer is excessive and can prevent him from attaining a balanced lifestyle. Society views overeating as outrageous and unhealthy, and the same could be said for Augustine’s belief of self restraint. Some could say that Augustine’s pleasure levels are insufficient and his practice of willpower and self discipline is excessive. He has chosen a direction of virtue and understands the suffering he must endure to achieve it by refraining from secular enjoyment. Aristotle says, “The eye is attracted to beautiful objects, by gold and silver and all such things. There is great pleasure, too, in feeling something agreeable to the touch, and material things have various qualities to please each of the other senses. Our ambition to obtain all these things must not lead us astray” (p.48). This is showing Augustine’s understanding that life’s pleasures are wonderful, but surrendering to them leads to immoral actions and unrighteousness. However, Augustine does not recommend indulging in worldly pleasures in moderation and keeping a balance. Instead, he argues that eliminating earthly possessions and secular pleasures all together will bring those closer to

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Introduction Augustine's "City of God" and "The Enchiridion" and Plato's "Euthyphro" are all significant works that explore the nature of morality and the relationship between morality and religion. While there are many similarities between these works, there are also important differences in their approaches and conclusions. Body

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One Life, by Scot McKnight, was an appealing testament of how we should go about life in a way that reflects God’s mission and plans for His people. The purpose for this book was so common people reading are, hopefully, influenced to live out their “one life” for God. McKnight explains, in great detail, of what God’s intentions are for us. He also provides the reader with many options on how to overcome temptations we face. This book was discussing several obstacles that may seem as a concern, but are also great descriptions on what every human may run into; however, it is also very clear in McKnight’s writing, that we can abstain from those worldly desires.

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John Stuart Mill’s notion of higher pleasures addresses the utilitarian criticism of a common currency of value or in other words, the notion that utilitarianism reduces all values to a single scale. Bentham’s utilitarianism is hedonistic in that he believes that all pleasures/preferences are equal. Mill’s approach is different and more eudemonistic. Sandel points out the example of Romans throwing Christians to the lions from earlier in the book and states that it would be better to change the preferences the Romans have of seeing something so perverse rather than to satisfy the pleasures gained from viewing something so vile. According to Bentham all pleasure is equal as he states that “pleasure is pleasure and pain is pain” (52).However the pleasure that the onlookers receive from such a thing is perverse and not a positive pleasure such as the pleasure you receive from exercising.

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He describes the objection as, “all men desire the apparent good, but have no control over the appearance, but the end appears to each man in a form answering to his character” (1114b).   This view argues that all people pursue that which seems good, but some people cannot see the true good, which is out of their control.   The immediate implication of this objection, if it is indeed true, suggests that “no one is responsible for his own evildoing” (1114b).

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This principle lies at the heart of the great-souled man, the first of Aristotle’s peaks of humanly excellence. The great-souled man is chiefly concerned with—and strikes the mean with—external goods. The greatest of these goods is “the one that we assign to the gods, and at which people of high standing aim most of all, and which is the prize given for the most beautiful deeds; and of this kind is honor” (67:1123b19-21). A man who has achieved greatness of soul is deserving of great honors, but more importantly, he understands his own desert and acts appropriately.

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Augustine, because of the great length of his writing, perhaps most accurately captures how when we are not oriented, ignoring the concept of Status Viatoris, we lack all three of the theological virtues. These writings indicate the importance of the theological virtues as we live out our finite lives. Dr. Miller defined

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Augustine faces many decisions in his life which lead to him feeling grief or sorrow about the decisions he makes. This allows the reader to relate to Augustine because many people have felt the same way before about their own life. The emotions that Augustine feels and the struggle he has with his belief in God and the Christian belief are very relatable to many people. I mean in today society many people struggle with their own standing with the Christian

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Augustine challenges this notion through this piece of literature.

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Similarly, while aboard the Arbella, William Bradford gives an astounding sermon called A Model of Christian Charity to his fellow travelers. In this message, he points to the direction and sovereignty of God. He begins with, “God Almighty in His most holy and wise providence, hath disposed of the condition of mankind…” (Baym 91). In addition, his sermon continues to point back to God as the source of provision, whether it is plenty or lack.

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That part of the heavenly city which dwells on earth seeks earthly peace as well, but only when it complements their ultimate goal of peace under God". The quote exemplifies the lack of belief in God in the city of man. In Augustine's view earthly peace will never reach their goal. Only believing in heavenly divine will can one find peace.

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That the virtues of the state or city are extrapolated and also exists within the soul. The virtue of wisdom corresponds with the rational part of the soul in which its role is to govern its counterparts; the spirited and appetitive parts of the soul. Secondly, courage is respective to spirit; its role is to obey the rational part in overseeing the appetitive, where the “spirit preserves in the midst of pains and pleasures the rule handed down by the reason” (442c). Lastly, the appetitive part of the soul is synonymous with the virtue of moderation, “it accepts that the rational part rules over the appetites” (441e-442d). With the identification of the parts of the soul and city, and the corresponding relation between each; injustice must “be a kind of civil war of these three principles, their meddlesomeness” (444b).

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Pelagius’ idea was that humans could receive salvation when they earned it and chose to just stop sinning. Augustine thought differently in the fact that all physical things are evil, and that all spiritual things are good. He disagreed by stating that immorality is a matter of will and that it resulted from Adam and Eve

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He is beginning to realize that he has to change his ways in order to reach absolution. In the ninth book, Augustine shows how he was able to finally connect with God through his books and teachings. “I read on: Tremble and sin no more, and this moved me deeply, my God, because now I had learned to tremble from my past, so that in the future I might sin no more.” (Book IX, Section 4, Page 187) This shows that Augustine was finally able to find God through the readings of the Bible.

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(Ethics 938). It is not enough to state that one is virtuous, nor is it enough for someone to be born virtuous and end there. Rather, it is the continuous pursuit, the juxtaposition of virtuous activity and of that which isn’t, that allows an individual to flourish in an Aristotelian society. We can deduce, then, that “…human

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“Do good and avoid evil” is a result of the differing educational, religious and cultural influences on man in the various times and places of his historical development. Thomas Aquinas contended that general principles of the natural law cannot be applied to all men in the same way on the great variety of human affairs, thus arises the diversity of positive laws among various people. Human laws deal with changing and contingent matters and often with singulars, do not have the certitude that belongs to the speculative sciences. Each has its own realm of operation and is sufficient that each have the certitude proper to its own realm. [ Ibid. ]

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