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MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY. TIME PERIOD: 8 TH -14 TH CENTURIES 3 STAGES: (1) 8-12 TH CENT: PREPARATORY PERIOD; (2) 13 TH CENT: THE GREAT SYNTHESES: BONAVENTURE, THOMAS AQUINAS, DUNS SCOTUS; (3) 14 TH CENT: DECLINE/DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

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MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

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  1. MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY • TIME PERIOD: 8TH-14TH CENTURIES • 3 STAGES: (1) 8-12TH CENT: PREPARATORY PERIOD; (2) 13TH CENT: THE GREAT SYNTHESES: BONAVENTURE, THOMAS AQUINAS, DUNS SCOTUS; (3) 14TH CENT: DECLINE/DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: (1) SYNTHESIS OF FAITH & REASON (2) PHILOSOPHY = THE HANDMAIDEN OF THEOLOGY(3) USE OF GREEK & ROMAN PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS FOR THEOLOGICAL PURPOSE

  2. AUGUSTINE 354 – 430INFLUENCIAL FIGURE FOR WESTERN MEDIEVAL THOUGHT • INFLUENCED BY PLATO & PLOTINUS • NO CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY • FUNCTION OF REASON IN THE SEARCH FOR WISDOM: A HELP TO PREPARE A MAN FOR FAITH; NO PURELY NATURAL MAN; MAN’S FINAL END = SUPERNATURAL END • PROTO MEDIEVAL EXISTENTIALIST

  3. AUGUSTINE’S EPISTEMOLOGY • FOCUS: KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH THAT BRINGS TRUE HAPPINESS/ BEATITUDE • BASIC QUESTION: HOW DOES THE FINITE, CHANGING HUMAN MIND ATTAIN CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE OF ETERNAL TRUTHS WHICH RULE & GOVERN THE MIND, AND SO TRANSCEND IT? • KNOWLEDGE OF ETERNAL TRUTH BRINGS THE SOUL TO KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND HIS ACTIVITY

  4. AUGUSTINE’S EPISTEMOLOGY • CONTRA ACADEMICOS: WISDOM PERTAINS TO HAPPINESS, KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH PERTAINS TO WISDOM; EVEN THE SCEPTICS ARE CERTAIN OF SOME TRUTHS; ONE WHO DOUBTS KNOWS THAT HE IS DOUBTING  CERTAIN OF THIS TRUTH: THE FACT THAT HE DOUBTS • A MAN IS AT LEAST CERTAIN OF HIS EXISTENCE SI FALLOR, SUM – IF I CAN BE DECEIVED THEN I EXIST – ANTICIPATES DESCARTES

  5. AUGUSTINE’S EPISTEMOLOGY • DE LIBERO ARBITRIO: MAN CERTAIN OF 3 THINGS: THAT HE EXISTS, THAT HE LIVES, AND THAT HE UNDERSTANDS • CERTAINTY FOR WHAT WE KNOW BY INNER EXPERIENCE, BY SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: RETURN WITHIN OURSELVES WHERE TRUTH ABIDES, & USE THE SOUL, THE IMAGE OF GOD, AS A STEPPING-STONE TO HIM • AUGUSTINE’S PLATONISM WITH REGARD TO KNOWLEDGE OF SENSE-OBJECTS

  6. AUGUSTINE’S EPISTEMOLOGY • AUGUSTINE’S THEORY OF ILLUMINISM – PLOTINIAN INFLUENCE: AS THE SUNLIGHT MAKES CORPOREAL THINGS VISIBLE TO THE EYE, SO THE DIVINE ILLUMINATION MAKES THE ETERNAL TRUTHS VISIBLE TO THE MIND

  7. AUGUSTINE’S CONCEPT OF GOD • AUGUSTINE’S CENTRAL & FAVORITE PROOF OF GOD’S EXISTENCE = A PROOF FROM THOUGHT/WITHIN, THE MIND’S APPREHENSION OF NECESSARY & CHANGLESS TRUTHS. GOD IS “THE TRUTH” = THE GROUND of all truths. • NOT SO MUCH CONCERNED TO PROVE TO THE ATHEIST THAT GOD EXISTS AS TO SHOW HOW ALL CREATION PROCLAIMS THE GOD WHOM THE SOUL CAN EXPERIENCE IN ITSELF, THE LIVING GOD

  8. AUGUSTINE’S CONCEPT OF GOD • INTERESTED MORE IN THE DYNAMIC ATTITUDE OF THE SOUL TOWARDS GOD, NOT THE CONSTRUCTION OF DIALECTICAL ARGUMENTS WITH A PURELY THEORETICAL CONCLUSION • LINKING UP THE “PROOF” FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WITH THE SOUL’S SEARCH FOR GOD AS THE SOURCE OF HAPPINESS • HUMAN BEING AS THE IMAGE OF GOD; THE WORLD OF ALL CREATURES REFLECTS & MANIFESTS GOD

  9. AUGUSTINE - THE WORLD • FREE CREATION OUT OF NOTHING • EMPHASIZING THE ESSENTIAL DEPENDENCE OF ALL CREATURES ON GOD & THE PERISHABLE NATURE OF ALL CORPOREAL CREATURES • RATIONES SEMINALES: THE GERMS OF THOSE THINGS WHICH WERE TO DEVELOP IN THE COURSE OF TIME, POTENTIALITES CREATED BY GOD

  10. AUGUSTINE - THE WORLD • MAN = BODY & IMMORTAL SOUL = THE PEAK OF MATERIAL CREATION; RATIONAL SOUL USING A MORTAL & EARTHLY BODY • THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL IS EVIDENT FROM ITS CAPACITY TO APPREHEND THE ETERNAL AND CHANGELESS TRUTHS

  11. AUGUSTINE’S ETHICS • EUDAIMONISTIC ETHICS: TRUE HAPPINESS CAN BE FOUND ONLY IN GOD, THE ATTAINMENT & POSSESSION OF THE ETERNAL & IMMUTABLE GOOD • AN ETHICS OF LOVE: IT IS THE THE WILL/LOVE THAT MAN REACHES OUT TOWARD GOD AND FINALLY TAKES POSSESSION OF & ENJOYS HIM • THE ATTAINMENT OF BEATITUDE IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT GOD’S GRACE

  12. AUGUSTINE’S ETHICS • FREEDOM: NECESSARY BASIS OF OBLIGATION; THE WILL IS FREE TO TURN AWAY FROM THE IMMUTABLE GOOD AND TO ATTACH ITSELF TO MUTABLE GOOD • BY TURNING AWAY FROM GOD THE WILL RUNS COUNTER TO THE DIVINE LAW WHICH IS EXPRESSED IN HUMAN NATURE • THE ETERNAL LAWS OF MORALITY ARE IMPRESSED IN THE HEART OF MAN BY GOD

  13. AUGUSTINE’S ETHICS • JUST AS THE HUMAN MIND PERCEIVES ETERNAL THEORETICAL TRUTHS IN THE LIGHT OF GOD, SO IT PERCEIVES, IN THE SAME LIGHT, PRACTICAL TRUTHS OR PRINCIPLES WHICH SHOULD DIRECT THE FREE WILL • THE WILL IS FREE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME SUBJECT TO MORAL OBLIGATION, TO LOVE GOD IS A DUTY • GRACE IN NEEDED EVEN TO BEGIN TO WILL TO LOVE GOD

  14. AUGUSTINE’S ETHICS • EVIL = TURNING THE WILL AWAY FROM GOD; MORAL PERFECTION CONSISTS IN LOVING GOD, DIRECTING THE WILL TO GOD AND BRINGING ALL OTHER POWERS INTO HARMONY WITH THIS DIRECTION • THE CAUSE OF EVIL: NOT THE CREATOR BUT THE CREATED WILL • MORAL EVIL = A PRIVATION OF RIGHT ORDER IN THE CREATED WILL

  15. AUGUSTINE’S ETHICS • IF MORALITY IS LOVE OF GOD AND THE ESSENCE OF EVIL IS A FALLING-AWAY FROM GOD 2 GREAT CAMPS: THOSE WHO LOVE GOD & PREFER GOD TO SELF AND THOSE WHO PREFER SELF TO GOD • AUGUSTINE LOOKED ON HISTORY FROM THE CHRISTIAN STANDPOINT AND THAT HIS OUTLOOK WAS PRIMARILY SPIRITUAL AND MORAL.

  16. AUGUSTINE AND THE STATE • HE SAW IN HISTORY AS HE SAW IN THE INDIVIDUAL, THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN 2 PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT, 2 LOVES: LOVE OF GOD & SUBMISSION TO HIS LAW AND LOVE OF SELF, OF PLEASURE AND OF THE WOLRD • THE HEAVENLY CITY (CIVITAS DEI) VS THE PAGAN STATE (CIVITAS TERRENA); THEYARE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL IDEAS, NOT EXACTLY COTERMINUS WITH ANY ACTUAL ORGANISATION

  17. SIGNIFICANCE OF AUGUSTINE • HE LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR MEDIEVAL THINKING, ADAPTED PLATONISM TO CHRISTIAN FAITH, GAVE SYSTEMATIC FORMULATION OF CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY • HIS SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY INFLUENCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

  18. SIGNIFICANCE OF AUGUSTINE • HIS PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY EXERTED AN IFLUENCE NOT ONLY ON RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS BUT ON SECULAR PHILOSOPHERS • SINCE THE TIME OF AUGUSTINE, THE SELF IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD BECOMES THE SUPREME PROBLEM OF PHILOSOPHY • WE APPRECIATE HIM NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE ANSWERS HE GAVE BUT BECAUSE OF THE DEEP QUESTIONS HE RAISED

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