In this blog post, we will examine how Augustine’s philosophy of inner life, spirit, memory, reason, and will provides insights into modern society and human understanding.
Introduction
Many people often refer to the Middle Ages in Western history as the “Dark Ages.” This is because the Middle Ages was a period when Christianity held sway, and many wars were fought in the name of Christianity. The word “dark” also has negative connotations, perhaps because the ideas of thinkers at the time were dominated by God, leading to a perception that their thinking was illogical and based on illusions.
However, this is merely a “preconception,” and the ideas of many medieval thinkers continue to spark debate and raise questions even today, with extensive research still being conducted. When I first encountered medieval philosophy, I naively thought, “Isn’t this an era that can be explained by the single word ‘God’?” However, as I delved deeper into medieval philosophy, I began to reconsider the meaning of “God” for the people of that time. I also began to wonder why they developed their ideas centered on God. In addition, I learned that ideas were developed in various fields other than those related to God. In this article, I would like to discuss Augustine, one of the medieval philosophers who developed such diverse ideas, and his ideas on the mind and soul.
What is the inner life that Augustine asserts?
Augustine asserts that humans have an inner and outer part. However, the distinction between the inner and outer parts cannot be seen as simply a distinction between the mind (soul) and the body. This is because some mental aspects, such as the senses and memories of the senses, are abilities that not only humans but also animals possess. The internal part must be a capacity unique to humans, and it can be defined as the unique capacities of humans, such as the mind, rational judgment, and intellectual contemplation. Furthermore, Augustine viewed the internal part as superior to the external part, as he was an introspective philosopher who placed greater importance on the internal part.
On the other hand, the external part includes the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Augustine regarded sight as the archetype of the senses and considered it the most complete and representative of the senses.
Senses and sight according to Augustine
In order to see something, we need three elements. The object being seen, the act of seeing, and mental orientation. According to Augustine, only mental orientation is a mental activity. The act of seeing itself, which is necessary to see an object, is carried out through the physical part called the “eye” and therefore belongs to the physical senses. These physical senses only function in that situation, but the mental element can function even when we are not seeing something, such as when we recall or remember something.
Augustine described vision as “the result of both the object and the sense.” This means that when we see an object, the object creates a form in our senses, which we call vision, and this form is similar to the object being seen. For example, when we see an apple, we recognize it through vision, but at the same time, we recall the form of an apple in our mind and recognize that the object is an apple.
Augustine believed that the actual object and the image that comes to mind are similar but not completely the same. He emphasized that the two are closely connected and difficult to distinguish, but are actually different. To explain this similarity a little further, Anthony Kenny’s book Medieval Philosophy states that when we see an object, an image is created in our senses, and this image has similarities with the object we see.
For example, when you dip your hand in water and then take it out, the water fills the space again, but the impression of the space your hand occupied remains. This shows that there is a difference between the form of the object we see and the impression it leaves on our eyes. However, Augustine believed that the two are so closely connected that they are difficult to distinguish.
What is memory according to Augustine?
As mentioned earlier, we can say that we “see” something because of the similarity between the object itself and its image. At this point, the image is formed by “memory,” which Augustine considered very important. He argued that we are able to recognize something because of memory. In other words, we are able to recognize something because of the information that already exists in our memory.
For example, if you are asked to think of a singer’s house, those who have visited the house will be able to recall its exact form, but those who have not will find it difficult to recognize the house without relying on memory.
Augustine offers an explanation similar to that of vision through his philosophical analysis of memory. If vision consists of the object seen, vision itself, and mental orientation, then memory consists of the memory recalled, the act of recalling, and thought. He also argued that mental orientation and thought are “acts of the will.” This will can manifest itself through external and internal eyes, and if the internal eye is chosen, even reason cannot distinguish between what is seen externally and what arises internally, creating a vivid similarity. For this reason, we can have realistic imaginations, but these imaginations cannot be completely controlled voluntarily.
What is reason according to Augustine?
According to Augustine, reason is divided into two types: higher reason and lower reason. Higher reason is accessible only through the intellect and relates to eternal and unchanging truths. Lower reason, on the other hand, deals with temporary and material things and sometimes acts as a substitute for higher reason.
Higher reason is called “sapientia,” and lower reason is called “scientia.” Sapientia means wisdom and insight, while scientia means scholarship and science. Sapientia is the contemplation of the true nature and unchanging truth. Contemplation in this life is about eternal truth, but in the lives of those enlightened by God, it leads to contemplation of God.
On the other hand, scientius refers to the recognition of temporary and variable things necessary in this world.
What is the will that Augustine asserts?
Through Augustine’s Confessions, we can see that he was a deeply religious person and that he explored the will in depth. While emphasizing God’s grace, he also asserted the complexity of human will and viewed human will as something that must be accounted for before God. In other words, he emphasized both the importance of God’s grace and human will. Through this, Augustine viewed will as a power of the soul that is distinct from intellect and desire, breaking away from the ancient view that will was simply an act of desire.
Augustine presented memory, intellect, and will as the three highest elements corresponding to the image of God. Memory is the ability to think all kinds of thoughts, intellect is the ability to agree with the truth of theoretical thinking through sapientia, and finally, will is the ability to agree with the plan of an action. For example, the plan to study from now on is an act of will. At this point, there are similarities and differences between the introspective philosophers and the extroverted philosophers regarding the will. The similarities are, first, that the root of all human choices is the pursuit of happiness; second, that the decision of an individual act is the choice of a means to an end; and third, that both philosophers were concerned with the possibility of not following the commands of the will or practical reason.
The difference is that Augustine did not believe that there was a cause for evil will. He argued that the cause of evil acts is evil will, but that evil will itself has no cause. Although the first human, Adam, committed evil acts, there was no cause for him to develop evil will. In this regard, the concept of “anti-causal freedom” appears, which means that even though the will of the actor is inclined in a certain direction, it is still possible to make the opposite choice. In other words, the will has the possibility of making a decision contrary to its original will.
Conclusion
Augustine was a deeply religious believer, and the necessity of God was often mentioned in his ideas. There were many aspects related to God in the mind and soul, and there were also aspects centered on humans in the will. Through this, we can see that medieval philosophers did not necessarily incorporate God into philosophy unconditionally.
In addition, the question raised in the introduction, why medieval philosophers believed in God so strongly, seems to have been answered to some extent through Augustine’s ideas. At the time, the existence of “God” was considered something that must be believed, and philosophers like Aquinas attempted to prove God’s existence through rational methods. While the mind and soul are extensively studied scientifically today, I believe they still require significant philosophical research. Augustine’s views on the mind and soul remain meaningful even in the present day.
