MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHERS I.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO greatest of all Christian philosophers and theologians has a pagan father and a Christian mother author of: o 113 books E.g. The Confession - Man is a great mystery o 218 letters o 500 sermons concerned with the combating three great heresies: o Pelagianism ultimately denying the supernatural order and the necessity of grace for salvation Augustine: grace is dependent upon the divine will o Donatism opposed the Christian traitors Augustine: the true minister of sacraments is Christ o Manichaeism there's an eternal struggle between good and evil contributions: o the greatest and foremost of the Fathers o a world historical figure of both ancient and modern civilization o inspirer of religious thought key ideas: o Philosophy is insufficient in itself in discovering this blessed life. o Credo ut Intelligam faith over reason believe in order to understand o Concept of Philosophy love of wisdom o Theodicy God is... the source of all things (Creator) source of truth (Intellectual Light) source of moral goodness o Nature of the Created World The goodness of all beings is good in themselves. Evil is not a being but a limitation useful in the general order of the world. o Foundations and Formulation of Moral Philosophy Theory of happiness in contemplation of God and fundamental laws of perfection The truly wise man is he who imitates God, knows and loves Him. II. THOMAS AQUINAS came from a noble family most importantintellectual figure of high medieval civilization significance: o holds the truth o uses his common sense o a master of metaphysics and technical sophistication o loves simplicity and clarity of style o depth o clarity and profundity o crucial for the medieval era

o modernity outstanding characteristics: o wisdom o charity o peace wrote 2 important books: o Summa Contra Gentiles o Summa Theologica beliefs: o Every agent acts for an end. Every agent acts for a good. All things are directed to one end: God. o Man's happiness does not consist in wealth, worldly power, and goods of the body. Human happiness is not seated in the senses. Man's ultimate happiness is not in this life. key ideas: o 5 Ways to Prove the Existence of God Argument of Motion - there must be a Prime Mover Argument of Causality - every effect must have a cause Argument from Necessity or Contingency - all beings are possible but one must be necessary if there are to be any beings at all Argument from Gradation or Exemplarity - our ideas presuppose some standard of perfection Argument from Design - the consistent and coherent ,operation of the universe demands some intelligent and purposeful designer o 3 natural Inclinations The good is common to all created reality. The good is generic to animals. The good is specific to humans. o Appetite - a tendency towards a known good or away from a known object (evil) 2 Kinds based on knowledge Sentient Appetite Rational Appetite In Man: Vegetative o Nutritive o Argumentative o Generative Sensitive o Cognitive 5 external Senses Internal Senses common sense imagination aestimative sense sense memory o Appetitive Concupscible Irascible Rational o Cognitive (intellect) o Appetitive (will) knowledgecafe2013 april2013 PHILOSOPHY: Greek Philosophers

o NAME

Passion - state of affection or state of being affected Concupscible - involve ease and facility in acquiring or avoiding its desired object love - if the person is impelled to seek that which is suitable to his well-being desire - if he is impelled to possess that which he loves joy - when he rests in and possesses the object desired (beloved) sorrow - when he does not, he experiences sorrow hatred - if he is expelled by the object known aversion - if he shrinks back to the hated object Irascible - involve great difficulty and exertion in acquiring or avoiding its known object hope - if he is impelled to seek a greater good (with difficulties) despair - when he cannot, he experiences this courage - if in the face of overwhelming evil that cannot be avoided with difficulty and exertion like danger of life fear - when he may shrink from the unconquerable evil anger - when he accepts an evil he cannot conquer The Knower and the Known SCIENCE MATTER & FORM POTENCY & ACT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE knowledge = 1 with being Intuitive Rational

Angels 1 with being

Theology

Pure Form

pure act

Men

Angelology

Rational Soul = Form of Body

Essence(potency and existence act Essence and existence and matter and form Essence and existence and matter and form Essence and existence and matter and form Essence and existence and matter and form Pure potency

Animals

Zoology

Sensitive Soul

Sensory

Plants

Botany

Vegetative Soul

None

Things

Physics

No Soul; Pure Material Forms

None

Chemical Elements Prime Matter

Chemistry None

1st Rudimentary Forms Wet/Dry, Hot/Cold Formless Matter

None None knowledgecafe2013 april2013 PHILOSOPHY: Greek Philosophers