Philosophy as Seen in Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in St. Augustine’s ‘City of God’, Bk. VIII

In the Medieval period, there were various philosophies and sciences which primarily concerned with the elements of the world. Much of the pursuit of knowledge pegged on understanding of the natural or physical, rational or logical and moral or ethical principles to understand  the visible things in the world.  However, St. Augustine points out that only when knowledge includes the nature of God that one can consider it as true knowledge. That is why Philosophy, as seen in chapters 9, 10, and 11, is the handmaid of theology.

In this context, Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in the eighth book of St. Augustine’s ‘City of God’, stressed three important points, namely, Plato’s philosophy as nearest to Christian faith, the primacy of Christian religion, and how Plato approaches nearly to Christian knowledge. The logical connection between these points revealed St. Augustine’s consistent conviction on the truth of Christianity.

In Chapter 9, St. Augustine points out that the hallmark of a philosophy that is nearest to Christian faith is one that concerns the Supreme God who is the first principle of nature, the light that shines truth, and the source of everything.  St. Augustine emphasizes that only those philosophers who have this orientation are the partners of Christian faith even if they do not profess Christianity as their religion.

Among many philosophies, St. Augustine singles out Plato’s philosophy as nearest to Christian faith as it concerns on the Unchanging nature of Supreme God, the cause of everything. Those other philosophers who mainly concern their writings on the sciences of the visibility of things are in disagreement with the Christian faith.  Because of this, St. Augustine preferred the Platonists and not the others.  Their thoughts are in line with Christianity.  Thus, those who claim to be Plationists have the same proximity to the faith.  Their works and writings are better known.  They have shed light to those who search for truth. They portrayed the character of a true wise man.

According to Gyula Klima’s book entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, for St. Augustine the Platonic philosophers or the philosophers who have the same line of thought as them entertained the idea of a God which had a similar description with the Christian notion of God: the maker of all things, and the good in reference to which things are to be done; that one has in Him the first principle of nature, the truth of doctrine, and the happiness in life¹.  This notion of a God can be found in Plato’s concept of immateriality which he considers to enshrine the fundamental truth of the first principle or the Unchanging Cause of all things.  This he implies that materiality present in visible things is not the truth but only clues for the truth present in immaterial and incorruptible things. While other philosophers busied themselves in discovering the truth of the visible things, the Platonists, on the other hand, rest their knowledge of truth in a Divine One, the source of everything.

         In Chapter 10, St. Augustine emphasizes that the Christian religion supersedes all the science of philosophers. As stated in Gyula Klima’s book, Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, by knowing God, one can already find the cause of all things, the light which truth is discovered, and the source of happiness in one’s life².  His strong claim on this is evident in his description of a Christian man who is not ignorant of the usual vanities and the sciences of other philosophers.  He believes that such man cannot be deceived as he is warned by the precepts of the apostles.  Though such man is not an expert of any philosophy or school of philosophy, the grace that comes from a belief of a true Supreme God can save him from falling into ignorance when he encounters the teachings of other philosophers. His knowledge on the Scriptures or ecclesiastical literature in Christian faith directs him to cling to the truth of the nature of God, and out of a deep understanding of it realizes a blessed life.

         St. Augustine exemplifies a Christian man as a lover of God and the true wise man. He finds the truth in God and unceasingly clings to God despite the presence of vanities of thoughts in sciences and philosophies of other thinkers. By this, St. Augustine stresses the supremacy of Christian Religion. Among philosophers who study and discover truth of things in the world through investigation of the natural, physical, logical, or moral principles of the causes of things without reaching to a point of discovering God as the cause of all things are not in agreement with Christianity.  They are in the darkness of confusion and have not found the fundamental truth that resides in God.  They are not the true wise men. Therefore, a Christian man is the true wise man because he glorifies God as the Supreme God, the light, the author of the universe. The Christian religion is the true religion.

         In Chapter 11, St. Augustine stresses on some suppositions that could have influenced Plato and his notions of a God who is unchangeable. Firstly, it not possible that Plato met prophet Jeremiah and read prophetic scriptures not written in Greek.  A careful calculation of dates would reveal that Plato was born a hundred years after Jeremiah.  This only meant that Plato neither met Jeremiah, nor read scriptural writings.

Second, based on the first assertion, Plato, being an earnest knower and philosopher, learned about the prophetic scriptures through an interpreter.  When he wrote about an Unchanging God, the cause of all things, he might have read and learned Genesis and other scriptural writings on creation.  He might also knew or read something on the scriptures a conversation of Moses to an angel.  By such reading, Plato might have understood the Unchanging nature of God in the part when the angel told Moses what God would like him to say to the people of Israel. The word of God conveyed to Moses by an angel goes like this: “I am who am; and thou shall say to the children of Israel, He who is sent me to you.” 

St. Augustine notes that this confirmed nature of God in the Scriptures is what Plato commended and zealously held, which now explains why his philosophy is near to Christian knowledge and not any other philosopher before him. From these two suppositions, follows the third, that is, Plato also considers a philosopher as a lover of God.  In this notion, St. Augustine confirms that Plato, indeed, was not ignorant of the prophetic scriptures of Christianity.

Based on the discussions of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of the eighth book of the “City of God,” Philosophy is considered a handmaid of theology.  But this philosophy is not just any philosophy.  To be more specific, this philosophy essentially includes concerns on the nature of God as the cause of everything, the Unchanging light for truth to be discovered, and the path for the enjoyment of a blessed life.

Therefore, the hallmark of a true philosophy, being a handmaid of theology, is one that leads man to love God. Through it, he will not fall into vanities of many sciences and philosophies. St. Augustine stressed this when he described the Christian man. Plato’s philosophy exemplifies this.  It shows how philosophy becomes an instrument to discover the truth of an Unchanging God through the visible things, through scriptural writings, and through conversations with the learned. 

From these, Plato contemplated on the immaterial and the invisible realities and discovered the truth of God.  Those who exemplified this in their lives are the true wise men.  In this context too, St. Augustine raises the Christian religion as the true religion that glorifies the Unchanging God.  This is also the apex of every Christian man’s life:  to love God above all.

Sources:

1.  Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 38.

2.       Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 40.

Philosophy in Bk. VIII Ch. 6 in St. Augustine's "City of God": Concerning the Meaning of the Platonists in that Part of Philosophy Called Physical

     Based from the sixth chapter of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s “City of God”, it shows that Philosophy is intellectual transcendence from the sensible to the intelligible. This is shown in St. Augustine’s discussion of the Platonist philosophy, in the topic of the “physical”.

     In the sixth chapter, St. Augustine brings out the significance of the Platonists in relation to the topic in Philosophy concerning the “physical”.  The “physical”, in the Greek sense, involved the notion of “change”.  This has been the study of the early Greek thinkers, and the Platonists were not exempted from considering this problem in their philosophizing, especially in the topic about finding the causes of all things.  While some philosophers attributed this “cause” to something that is material (e.g. Pre-Socratics, Stoics, etc.) the Platonists, as Gyula Klima described in his book Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, stated that they have seen that no material body can be this “cause of all things” ¹.

              

  It is because of this shift of thought from materiality (something sensible) to immateriality (something intelligible) that St. Augustine sees the significance of the Platonists. This significance implies the idea that a “cause” cannot be attributed to something which is material.  This is because attributing a “material cause” as the cause of all things exclusively puts off the realm of the intelligible.  The reality that one experiences with change connects him to something beyond that change. If done, this leads to inconsistency or error or even absurdity by attributing the cause of all things as material.

    St. Augustine points to the physical or natural in order to establish the reality of change and connect it to the manifestations of something intelligible through sensible things. All sensible things change. This change provides the principle of the intelligible by which something beyond what can be seen and touched or experienced can be understood.  Through the physical or natural that changes, one can realize that which never changes.  But that which never changes cannot be totally comprehended.  Only in the specter of the sensible and the intelligible that the divine is revealed.

    St. Augustine took this important contribution of the Platonists in relation to theology. This is because the Platonic idea concerning an “immaterial cause” is a crucial aspect in a Christian’s pursuit in understanding the nature of God, especially on the topic about His existence and the existence of everything.  This is observed to be plausible, for understanding the nature of God requires more than empirical knowledge.  In a Christian’s philosophical pursuit about God, then, it is more beneficial to embrace the Platonic idea of an “immaterial cause” to be able to achieve that clarity and enlightenment that is required in contemplating on that which is divine.

    Another point in which St. Augustine gives importance to the Platonists is that they contributed a great deal in the natural or “physical” part of theology.  This contribution revolves around the idea of using the concept of an “immaterial cause” as a basis for the nature of God. This “physical” part has the same concern in the “physical” in Philosophy: it is about the “cause of all things”, only this time it involves the idea of God.  This contribution is presented by St. Augustine in his statement that the existence of every changeable (“physical”) thing in this world is made possible because there is an unchangeable cause for it, which he attributes to God.  This is seen in his statement, according to Gyula Klima’s book Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, which says that the existence of everything is only possible through God because He truly is; that He is unchangeable ².

In relation to this idea, St. Augustine gives numerous examples, such as the life of trees and man in which he surmised could only be possible through God, because He is the only thing which is unchangeable and absolute. In other words, the contribution of the Platonists in the “physical” part of theology is that it provided a foundation for the idea of creation of things, which can be observed as an essential aspect in understanding the nature of God, the Creator.  

   Philosophy, then, is transcending the depth of material or sensible and finds the immaterial or the intelligible in the process.  In the pursuit of wisdom, one should see beyond the empirical evidences and finds truths in them.  He must push through these empirical evidences to really be enlightened and be able to transcend and realize that there is a cause of all things.  

   When one connects the sensible to the intelligible, only then that he can find truth.  This path allows one to contemplate beyond, in order to realize the core of every reality in the physical or natural realm.  Just as how the classic Platonic allegory of the cave goes, one must not limit himself into the empirical evidences that he has because it is still not the fullest form of wisdom. True wisdom, therefore, can only be attained when one contemplates deeper and liberate himself from these partial knowledge through empirical evidence.  It is only when one sees beyond the things around him that he can truly be enlightened.

   Concerning the meaning of the Platonists in this particular matter, St. Augustine points out the ability of one to embrace the opportunity of understanding the meaning of change through the sensible and intelligible things.  Only when one sees beyond the senses that he can find truth in intelligible things.  This is necessary to understand the nature of God.

    Therefore, there is cause in all things that change.  But such cause is not something that changes.  It is is and neither sensible nor intelligible. But that is manifests itself in both the sensible and the intelligible. Such cause is Uncaused and, therefore, Unchangeable. Such Uncaused and Unchangeable Cause is God, the foundation of all things that exist or the primordial principle from which every reality springs.

Sources:

    1.  Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 36. 

    2. Ibid.

Bk. VIII Chapter 5 of St. Augustine's City of God: Philosophy is Epistemology

     In the fifth chapter of the eighth book of St. Augustine’s City of God, noted is St. Augustine’s consideration that Philosophy is epistemology.  This he meaningfully discussed by considering the Platonists as the more preferred persons who can help one in knowing and understanding matters concerning theology.

     In the first part of the fifth chapter, St. Augustine presents the mythical and civil theologies as inadequate references for the realization of a blessed life. This is because of the way such theologies fill up the minds of men with the crimes of the gods, and in turn defiles them with the way they worship these gods.  These negative notions connote material and finite perspectives of truths.  

      Mythical and civil theologies are other philosophers’ references for truth.  In contrary to such, St. Augustine recognizes the Platonists.  The Platonists possess excellent knowledge in the threefold division of philosophy which point to the moral, natural, and rational aspects in the search for truth and wisdom.  These three aspects made their opinions preferable over the others since they imply the rational and logical ways to the search for truth or wisdom through knowing and understanding that beyond materiality and finitude, lies the very nature of a true blessed life.

     The Platonists’ opinions closely resembles Christianity.  According to the book Christian Book Summaries, this inclination which makes Platonists closely resembling Christianity is their giving of importance to moral philosophy ¹.    In other words, the Platonists are rational and logical thinkers.  They do not simply content themselves on knowing what is finite but understanding it through knowing infinite things to lead them to what is moral.  This prevents them from falling into the mistake of the other philosophers who were blind followers of mythical and civil theologies (e.g. Numa Pompilius and Cicero).

    What also made St. Augustine disregard the other philosophers in matters of theology is their assumption that all things are material. This assumption is traced back from the Pre-Socratics, the Stoics, and the Epicureans who held different perspectives on the material origins of things.  These may mean elements, bodies or principles which they all assume to be the foundation of things and life in such things.   

    St. Augustine criticized these assumptions of such philosophers by emphasizing that their assumptions were driven by the senses which blinded them from seeing the real cause or origin of all things.   This blindness is expressed in the example given by St. Augustine of the Stoics, who assumed that fire is living and intelligent. This fire is one of the elements of the visible world.   However, for St. Augustine, this “living and intelligent” fire of the Stoics implies the attributes of God.   Since the Stoics were very fixated in their sense experience about fire as “living” and “intelligible”, they failed to realize that such are the qualities of a divine Being: God.

       To deeply understand epistemology, Stanford Encyclopedia defines epistemology as the study of justified belief and of knowledge ².  Epistemology, as a study of knowledge, concerns itself with issues concerning the necessary and sufficient conditions in attaining knowledge, sources of knowledge, and the limits of knowledge.

       The notion that Philosophy is epistemology gives premium on the necessity of logic and rational thinking in determining the limitations and the sufficient conditions for attaining knowledge (epistemology) and understanding such through knowledge of the nature of God (theology). In other words St. Augustine’s recognition of rational and logical thinking, as qualities modelled by Platonists,  points out that these qualities are necessary in understanding the real origin of all things in the world, God. Through such, knowledge can be ascertained.  The moral life can be known, and it is understood to be something that lies beyond the senses.

       Therefore, the search of truth or wisdom requires rational and logical thinking.   With these, all knowledge about things can be evaluated not only through the senses but also beyond them.  By doing such,   the confusion caused by material fixation on origin of all things can be avoided.  The realization of God as the origin of all things is the core of St. Augustine’s attainment of a blessed life. 

Sources:

 1. Bonnie Church, Christian Book Summaries, accessed August 4, 2015, http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/library/v4/cbs0424.pdf.

  2.  “Epistemology”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, accessed August 4, 2015, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/#REP.

Bk. VIII, Chapter 4 in St. Augustine's City of God: Philosophy is Theology

In the fourth chapter of the eighth book in St. Augustine’s City of God, he presents that Philosophy is theology. This is shown in St. Augustine’s discussion of Plato’s threefold division of Philosophy and his evaluation of Plato. In this threefold division, St. Augustine distinguishes the goals that can be met in studying such divisions, and the implications which supports the premise that Philosophy is theology.  The same can also be said of St. Augustine’s evaluation of Plato.

      St. Augustine presented that Philosophy is theology.  He presents this in his discussion of Plato’s threefold division of Philosophy, namely, moral, natural, and rational ¹.  The moral part of Philosophy which St. Augustine ascribes to action, the natural he ascribed to contemplation, and the rational in which he ascribed to discriminate truth and falsity.  In this sense, one can see that Philosophy leads the individual into particular goals, in respect to the three divisions. In searching for wisdom therefore, one is led to know the end of all actions (moral), the cause of all natures (natural), and the light of all intelligences (rational). 

      Theology is connected to these divisions to essentially show that man’s life is towards the search for wisdom.  It is necessary then to have a clear definition of “theology.”   According to Oxford Dictionaries, Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious belief ².  The notion of theology is implied in the goal to seek for the “end”, “cause”, and “light” of actions, natures, and intelligences respectively in man’s pursuit of wisdom.  These terms being associated with theology imply the natures attributed to God.

      Being an “end” of the things one does, a “cause” of the events around an individual, and a “light” which gives illumination to one’s mind cannot be fulfilled by a mortal or human being.  This proves to be true, say, if one chooses to help the victims of calamity in relief operations; this individual does not fulfill such moral action just because of the victims, but rather it is for a higher purpose or “end”.  This end, as observed in the example is not attributed to a human person, rather it is for a higher being, which one associates with God.  The same line of thought can be connected when one takes in the terms of a “cause” or a “light”.

      The notion that Philosophy is theology confirms the very fact that in man’s search for wisdom, an individual partakes into a journey of understanding and knowing the very natures attributed to a divine being, which is assumed to be God.  These natures are implied in the search for the “cause”, “end”, and “light” which cannot be attributed to something finite, material, or human.  This further implies that what one gains in the search for wisdom, like further knowledge and deeper understanding of things, is directed into the understanding of the ultimate “cause” of all natures, “end” of all actions, and “light” of all intelligences  which is God.

     Another point which confirms the said notion is St. Augustine’s evaluation of Plato.  St. Augustine considered Plato as the philosopher closer to the notion of theology.  This is stated in the book of Gyula Klima entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, which stated that Plato does entertain the idea of a God and is willing to admit that such God is the cause of all existence, the ultimate reason for understanding, and the end in reference to one’s regulation of his life ³.  The confirmation that Philosophy is theology is seen in the consideration given by Plato in the idea of a God in relation to the search for wisdom.

   Therefore, for St. Augustine, Philosophy is theology.  His recognition of Plato’s willingness to accept the idea of a God as the cause, the reference, and end of all things gives an essential emphasis that the end of philosophizing is to search for wisdom through understanding the nature of God.

Sources:

     

1.       Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 34. 

2. “Theology”, Oxford Dictionaries, accessed August 4, 2015, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/theology.

    3.  Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 34.