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.