4 Augustine's Debt to Stoicism in the Confessions
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The Problem of Evil in Augustine's Confessions
University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2011 The rP oblem of Evil in Augustine's Confessions Edward Matusek University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Scholar Commons Citation Matusek, Edward, "The rP oblem of Evil in Augustine's Confessions" (2011). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3733 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Problem of Evil in Augustine’s Confessions by Edward A. Matusek A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Philosophy College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Thomas Williams, Ph.D. Roger Ariew, Ph.D. Joanne Waugh, Ph.D. Charles B. Guignon, Ph.D. Date of Approval: November 14, 2011 Keywords: theodicy, privation, metaphysical evil, Manichaeism, Neo-Platonism Copyright © 2011, Edward A. Matusek i TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract iii Chapter One: Introduction to Augustine’s Confessions and the Present Study 1 Purpose and Background of the Study 2 Literary and Historical Considerations of Confessions 4 Relevance of the Study for Various -
Commentary on Englert Martha Nussbaum I Admire Englert's
Commentary on Englert Martha Nussbaum I admire Englert's paper. I find its major conclusions entirely convincing: (1) the analysis of the difference between Epicurean and Stoic attitudes to suicide; (2) the account of the original Stoic position; (3) the argument that Seneca is an orthodox Stoic about suicide; and (4) the very interesting claims about the role of dif- ferent sorts of freedom in Seneca's arguments. Although I am persuaded by his analysis, I am inclined to be somewhat more critical of the Stoic position than he seems inclined to be: for I think that in a crucial way it is internally incoherent. In what follows, therefore, I want to focus on a problem in the Stoic account itself, with respect to the ambivalence the suicide theory reveals toward the importance of externals. I shall do this by focusing on one line of argument leading to suicide, in Seneca's De Ira.l 1. The Stoics famously hold that only virtue is worth choosing for its own sake. And virtue all by itself suffices for a complete- ly fulfilled and fulfilling human life, that is, for eudaimonia. Virtue is something unaffected by external contingency—both, apparently, as to its acquisition and as to its maintenance once acquired? Items that are not fully under the control of the 1. My interpretation of this work is developed at greater length in Nussbaum 1994. My general account of Stoic virtue theory and its relationship to the call for the extirpation of passion is in chapter 10, my detailed analysis of the argu- ments about anger in the De Ira in chapter 11. -
Augustine on Knowledge
Augustine on Knowledge Divine Illumination as an Argument Against Scepticism ANITA VAN DER BOS RMA: RELIGION & CULTURE Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Research Master Thesis s2217473, April 2017 FIRST SUPERVISOR: dr. M. Van Dijk SECOND SUPERVISOR: dr. dr. F.L. Roig Lanzillotta 1 2 Content Augustine on Knowledge ........................................................................................................................ 1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ 4 Preface .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 7 The life of Saint Augustine ................................................................................................................... 9 The influence of the Contra Academicos .......................................................................................... 13 Note on the quotations ........................................................................................................................ 14 1. Scepticism ........................................................................................................................................ -
The Hymn of Cleanthes Greek Text Translated Into English
UC-NRLF 557 C29 ^ 033 TDt. 3 + 1921 3• MAIN ^ ft (9 -- " EXTS FOR STUDENTS, No. 26 THE YMN OF CLEANTHES GREEK TEXT TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH WITH BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY E. H. BLAKENEY, M.A. ce 6d. net. HELPS FOR STUDENTS OF HISTORY. 1. EPISCOPAL REGISTERS OF ENGLAND AND WALES. By R. C. Fowler, B.A., F.S.A. 6d. net. 2. MUNICIPAL RECORDS. By F. J. C. Hearnsuaw, M.A. Gd. net. 3. MEDIEVAL RECKONINGS OF TIME. ' By Reginald L. Poole, LL.D., Litt.D. 6d. net. % 4. THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. By Charles Johnson. 6d. net. 5. THE CARE OF DOCUMENTS. By Charles Johnson. 6d.net. 6. THE LOGIC OF HISTORY. By C. G. Cramp. 8d.net. 7. DOCUMENTS IN THE PUBUC RECORD OFFICE, DUBLIN. By B. H. Murray, Litt.D. 8d. net. 8. THE FRENCH WARS OF RELIGION. By Arthur A. TiUey» M.A. 6d. net. By Sir A. W. WARD, Litt.D., F.B.A. 9. THE PERIOD OF CONGRESSES, I. Introductory. 8d.net. 10. THE PERIOD OF CONGRESSES, II. Vienna and the Second Peace of Paris. Is. net. 11. THE PERIOD OF CONGRESSES, IH. Aix-la-ChapeUe to Verona. Is. net. (Nos. 9, 10, and 11 in one volume, cloth, 3s. Gd. net.) 12. SECURITIES OF PEACE. A Retrospect (1848-1914). Paper, 2s. ; cloth, 3s. net. 13. THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE. By Arthur A. TiUey, M.A* 8d. net. 14. HINTS ON THE STUDY OF ENGUSH ECONOMIC HISTORY. By W. Cunningham, D.D., F.B.A., F.S.A. 8d. net. 1 5. PARISH HISTORY AND RECORDS. -
166 BOOK REVIEWS Gretchen Reydams-Schils, the Roman Stoics
166 BOOK REVIEWS Gretchen Reydams-Schils, The Roman Stoics: Self, Responsibility and Affection. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2005. xii + 210 pp. ISBN 0-226-30837-5. In the third book of the Histones Tacitus presents us with the ludicrous picture of a Stoic philosopher mingling with the soldiers of the Flavian army as it prepares to invade the city, and preaching unheeded the blessings of peace and the dangers of war (3.81). The purveyor of this intempestiva sapientia was Musonius Rufus, an eques Romanus, a friend of many Roman senators, a political exile, and the hero of this book. The author sets out to prove that the Roman Stoics adapted originally Greek Stoic doctrine to emphasize the importance of social responsibility and social engagement to the life of virtue. Stoicism, for all its emphasis on self-sufficiency, independence of outer circumstances, and spiritual self-improvement, saw the instinct for sociability as implanted by divine providence in human beings, who were imbedded in a society of rational beings comprising men and gods. What the author thinks was the distinctive contribution of the Roman Stoics was to retrieve for the life of virtue the traditional relationships of parenthood and marriage that Plato and the Cynics had tried to denigrate. It is therefore not the Musonius Rufus of Roman politics that interests her, but the advocate of marriage as a union of body and soul between equals and the opponent of infanticide and child exposure. The structure of the book reflects this emphasis, for it ‘reverses the Stoic progression from self to god and universe’ (5). -
Critical Inquiry As Virtuous Truth-Telling: Implications of Phronesis and Parrhesia ______
______________________________________________________________________________ Critical Inquiry as Virtuous Truth-Telling: Implications of Phronesis and Parrhesia ______________________________________________________________________________ Austin Pickup, Aurora University Abstract This article examines critical inquiry and truth-telling from the perspective of two comple- mentary theoretical frameworks. First, Aristotelian phronesis, or practical wisdom, offers a framework for truth that is oriented toward ethical deliberation while recognizing the contingency of practical application. Second, Foucauldian parrhesia calls for an engaged sense of truth-telling that requires risk from the inquirer while grounding truth in the com- plexity of human discourse. Taken together, phronesis and parrhesia orient inquirers to- ward intentional truth-telling practices that resist simplistic renderings of criticality and overly technical understandings of research. This article argues that truly critical inquiry must spring from the perspectives of phronesis and parrhesia, providing research projects that aim at virtuous truth-telling over technical veracity with the hope of contributing to ethical discourse and social praxis. Keywords: phronesis, praxis, parrhesia, critical inquiry, truth-telling Introduction The theme of this special issue considers the nature of critical inquiry, specifically methodological work that remains committed to explicit goals of social justice and the good. One of the central concerns of this issue is that critical studies have lost much of their meaning due to a proliferation of the term critical in educational scholarship. As noted in the introduction to this issue, much contemporary work in education research that claims to be critical may be so in name only, offering but methodological techniques to engage in critical work; techniques that are incapable of inter- vening in both the epistemological and ontological formations of normative practices in education. -
3 Arcesilaus and Carneades
C:/ITOOLS/WMS/CUP/552750/WORKINGFOLDER/BCP/9780521874762C03.3D 58 [58–80] 24.9.2009 7:15AM harald thorsrud 3 Arcesilaus and Carneades Arcesilaus initiated a sceptical phase in the Academy after taking over in c. 268 BCE. He was motivated in part by an innovative reading of Plato’s dialogues. Where his predecessors found positive doctrines to be systematically developed, he found a dialectical method of arguing and the sceptical view that nothing can be known (akatalêpsia, De Or. 3.67,seeDL4.28, 4.32). He also advanced this conclusion in opposition to the ambitious system of the Stoics, claiming further that the appropriate response to the pervasive uncertainty generated by his method is the suspension of judgement (epochê). Arcesilaus’ dialectical method was practiced without significant modification in the Academy until Carneades, who became head sometime before 155 BCE.1 Carneades both continued and strength- ened Arcesilaus’ method (ND 1.11, Acad. 2.16, see also Acad. 1.46, and Eusebius, Praep. evang. 14.7.15). Sextus marks the change by referring to Plato’s Academy as Old, Arcesilaus’ as Middle, and Carneades’ as New (PH 1.220). Since the main interpretative issues regarding both Arcesilaus and Carneades depend on the concepts of akatalêpsia and epochê,we must try to determine what they mean, how they are related, and what attitude the Academics take towards them – i.e. in what sense, if any, are these their sceptical doctrines? iarcesilaus The view that Arcesilaus derived from Plato’s dialogues might have taken one of two very different forms. He might have discovered some arguments that show knowledge is not possible. -
St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on the Mind, Body, and Life After Death
The University of Akron IdeaExchange@UAkron Williams Honors College, Honors Research The Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Honors Projects College Spring 2020 St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on the Mind, Body, and Life After Death Christopher Choma [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects Part of the Christianity Commons, Epistemology Commons, European History Commons, History of Philosophy Commons, History of Religion Commons, Metaphysics Commons, Philosophy of Mind Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Please take a moment to share how this work helps you through this survey. Your feedback will be important as we plan further development of our repository. Recommended Citation Choma, Christopher, "St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on the Mind, Body, and Life After Death" (2020). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1048. https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1048 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by The Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Honors College at IdeaExchange@UAkron, the institutional repository of The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, USA. It has been accepted for inclusion in Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects by an authorized administrator of IdeaExchange@UAkron. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. 1 St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on the Mind, Body, and Life After Death By: Christopher Choma Sponsored by: Dr. Joseph Li Vecchi Readers: Dr. Howard Ducharme Dr. Nathan Blackerby 2 Table of Contents Introduction p. 4 Section One: Three General Views of Human Nature p. -
The Little Book of Stoicism
The Little Book of Stoicism Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness Jonas Salzgeber Illustrations © 2019 Jonas Salzgeber. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2019 Jonas Salzgeber THE LITTLE BOOK OF STOICISM. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. First paperback published 2019. FIRST EDITION. ISBN: 978-1791967284 www.njlifehacks.com Contents Introduction 1 PART 1: WHAT IS STOICISM 9 Chapter 1: The Promise of Stoic Philosophy 11 Practice the Art of Living: Become a Warrior- Philosopher 12 Promise #1: Eudaimonia 14 Promise #2: Emotional Resilience 17 Tame Restricting Emotions (≠ Unemotional) 19 Practice Stoicism and Become more Tranquil as a By-Product 23 Chapter 2: A Quick History Lesson 26 The Most Important Stoic Philosophers 29 Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BCE – 65 CE) 30 Musonius Rufus (c. 30 CE – c. 100 CE) 32 Epictetus (c. 55 CE – c. 135 CE) 33 Marcus Aurelius (121 CE – 180 CE) 34 Chapter 3: The Stoic Happiness Triangle 36 The Stoic Happiness Triangle in A Nutshell 38 1. Live with Areté: Express Your Highest Self in Every Moment 40 The Perfection of Our Natural Potential 43 The Four Cardinal Virtues 47 Character Beats Beauty 51 The Stoic Love of Mankind: Act for the Common Welfare 53 2. Focus on What You Control: Accept Whatever Happens and Make the Best Out of It 56 The Stoic Archer: Focus on the Process 60 Stoic Acceptance: Enjoy the Ride or Get Dragged Along 63 The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent Things 67 In Poker as in Life, You Can Win with Any Hand 71 3. -
Language Logic and Reality: a Stoic Perspective (Spring 2013)
Language Logic and Reality: A Stoic Perspective Aaron Tuor History of Lingustics WWU Spring 2013 1 Language, Logic, and Reality: A Stoic perspective Contents 1 Introduction: The Tripartite Division of Stoic Philosophy.............................3 2 Stoic Physics...................................................................................................4 3 Stoic Dialectic.................................................................................................4 3.1 A Stoic Theory of Mind: Logos and presentations..........................4 3.2 Stoic Philosophy of Language: Lekta versus linguistic forms.........6 3.3 Stoic Logic.......................................................................................7 3.3.1 Simple and Complex Axiomata........................................7 3.3.2 Truth Conditions and Sentence Connectives....................8 3.3.3 Inference Schemata and Truths of Logic..........................9 3.4 Stoic Theory of Knowledge.............................................................10 3.4.1 Truth..................................................................................10 3.4.2 Knowledge........................................................................11 4 Conclusion: Analysis of an eristic argument..................................................12 4.1 Hermogenes as the Measure of "Man is the measure."...................13 Appendix I: Truth Tables and Inference Schemata...........................................17 Appendix II: Diagram of Communication.........................................................18 -
Altruism, Morality & Social Solidarity Forum
Altruism, Morality & Social Solidarity Forum A Forum for Scholarship and Newsletter of the AMSS Section of ASA Volume 3, Issue 2 May 2012 What’s so Darned Special about Church Friends? Robert D. Putnam Harvard University One purpose of my recent research (with David E. Campbell) on religion in America1 was to con- firm and, if possible, extend previous research on the correlation of religiosity and altruistic behavior, such as giving, volunteering, and community involvement. It proved straight-forward to show that each of sev- eral dozen measures of good neighborliness was strongly correlated with religious involvement. Continued on page 19... Our Future is Just Beginning Vincent Jeffries, Acting Chairperson California State University, Northridge The beginning of our endeavors has ended. The study of altruism, morality, and social solidarity is now an established section in the American Sociological Association. We will have our first Section Sessions at the 2012 American Sociological Association Meetings in Denver, Colorado, this August. There is a full slate of candidates for the ASA elections this spring, and those chosen will take office at the Meetings. Continued on page 4... The Revival of Russian Sociology and Studies of This Issue: Social Solidarity From the Editor 2 Dmitry Efremenko and Yaroslava Evseeva AMSS Awards 3 Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences Scholarly Updates 12 The article was executed in the framework of the research project Social solidarity as a condition of society transformations: Theoretical foundations, Bezila 16 Russian specificity, socio-biological and socio-psychological aspects, supported Dissertation by the Russian foundation for basic research (Project 11-06-00347а). -
Altruism1 Neven Sesardic
Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 50 (1999), 457–466 REVIEW ARTICLE Altruism1 Neven Sesardic 1 Introduction 2 Evolutionary altruism 2.1 Historical confusion 2.2 Averaging fallacy 3 Psychological altruism 3.1 Conceptual issues 3.2 Empirical issues 4 Conclusion 1 Introduction The belief in the existence of genuine altruism is still widely regarded as an underdog theory. This is well reflected in the fact that the whole debate about egoism and altruism is frequently conceptualized as being about the so-called paradox of altruism. The obvious suggestion here is that the cards are so heavily stacked against altruism that the easiest way to resolve the controversy would be to simply agree that altruism does not exist at all. In their book Unto Others, the philosopher Elliott Sober and the biologist David Sloan Wilson make a strong effort to swim against this current. The battle between altruism and egoism is fought on two separate fronts: in evolutionary biology and in psychology. The book covers both aspects of the debate: the first part deals with biology, the second part with psychology. Although the definition of altruism in biology significantly differs from the concept of altruism in psychology, the authors have shown that the two strands of the discussion nevertheless remain interrelated to such a degree that the integration of both topics into one book makes perfect sense. 1 Review of Elliott Sober and David Sloan Wilson [1998]: Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior, London/Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, cloth £19.95/$29.95, ISBN: 0 674 93046 0.