Evaluating Augustine on Human Nature
Evaluating Augustine:
Agree Disagree
● Postlapsarian Nature (Augustine) ● Moral Action (Pelagius) - The Bible
- Humans were made perfect in is filled with cases of God
imago dei, however as a result of commanding moral action of
the Fall the human will was humans. It would make no sense for
corrupted. This means that cupiditas God to demand this of humanity if
dominates over caritas creating Original Sin meant we were unable
concupiscence, an inclination to fulfil his demands. God
towards sin. commanding moral action
presupposes we have free will,
● Grace creates Goodness which Augustine’s view on Original
(Augustine) - Humans can desire Sin contradicts
and accomplish good actions, but
only as a result of God’s grace and ● Educated in Evil (Pelagius) -
not free will, as shown by St. Paul in Augustine’s observations that
Ephesians 2:8 support his conception of Original
Sin merely reflect his society and
● Biblical Evidence (Augustine) - not human nature. We are not born
Augustine’s view of Human Nature corrupt but instead we are
is based in the Book of Genesis, “educated in evil”. This is shown by
that humans were created in the the general decrease in violence in
image of God and corrupted by the different societies over time.
Fall and punished for their sins
● Unjust Punishment (Pelagius) - It
Counter : Symbolic Interpretation, is unjust for God to punish sin if we
The book of Genesis does not have are unable to do otherwise,
to be taken literally, but with a more especially since the fallen state of
Liberal reading of the Bible could humanity is a result of Adam and
represent each individuals’ moral Eve’s actions and not their own.
and spiritual journey Augustine puts this down to the
“secret yet just judgement of God”
● Limited Election (Augustine) - but how can God be
Due to Original Sin, humans can omnibenevolent while innocent
never be morally good through our children suffer
own free will, and as a consequence
it is only through preserving faith ● Evolutionary Biology (Dawkins) -
and grace that we cannot take credit Rejects the doctrine of Original Sin
for that we can act good. God elects on the grounds that it is incongruent
those who will be gifted his grace, with evolutionary biology and
and they are the ones that do good genetics. The evidence of human
in their lives. Supported by Romans diversity means there is no way all
8:29 of humanity could have descended
from two people, and Augustine’s
● Collective Responsibility belief in Homunculus Theory (little
(Niebuhr) - Failure to understand men inside Adam’s loins) is provably
Evaluating Augustine:
Agree Disagree
● Postlapsarian Nature (Augustine) ● Moral Action (Pelagius) - The Bible
- Humans were made perfect in is filled with cases of God
imago dei, however as a result of commanding moral action of
the Fall the human will was humans. It would make no sense for
corrupted. This means that cupiditas God to demand this of humanity if
dominates over caritas creating Original Sin meant we were unable
concupiscence, an inclination to fulfil his demands. God
towards sin. commanding moral action
presupposes we have free will,
● Grace creates Goodness which Augustine’s view on Original
(Augustine) - Humans can desire Sin contradicts
and accomplish good actions, but
only as a result of God’s grace and ● Educated in Evil (Pelagius) -
not free will, as shown by St. Paul in Augustine’s observations that
Ephesians 2:8 support his conception of Original
Sin merely reflect his society and
● Biblical Evidence (Augustine) - not human nature. We are not born
Augustine’s view of Human Nature corrupt but instead we are
is based in the Book of Genesis, “educated in evil”. This is shown by
that humans were created in the the general decrease in violence in
image of God and corrupted by the different societies over time.
Fall and punished for their sins
● Unjust Punishment (Pelagius) - It
Counter : Symbolic Interpretation, is unjust for God to punish sin if we
The book of Genesis does not have are unable to do otherwise,
to be taken literally, but with a more especially since the fallen state of
Liberal reading of the Bible could humanity is a result of Adam and
represent each individuals’ moral Eve’s actions and not their own.
and spiritual journey Augustine puts this down to the
“secret yet just judgement of God”
● Limited Election (Augustine) - but how can God be
Due to Original Sin, humans can omnibenevolent while innocent
never be morally good through our children suffer
own free will, and as a consequence
it is only through preserving faith ● Evolutionary Biology (Dawkins) -
and grace that we cannot take credit Rejects the doctrine of Original Sin
for that we can act good. God elects on the grounds that it is incongruent
those who will be gifted his grace, with evolutionary biology and
and they are the ones that do good genetics. The evidence of human
in their lives. Supported by Romans diversity means there is no way all
8:29 of humanity could have descended
from two people, and Augustine’s
● Collective Responsibility belief in Homunculus Theory (little
(Niebuhr) - Failure to understand men inside Adam’s loins) is provably
