PHL205H1 Lecture 3: Sep22 + 27
Document Summary
Augustine rejects individual evil and says that someone cannot do evil for evil"s sake. If you"re evil, you"re simply mistaken about how to perceive certain goods. Augustine is very obsessed with the story of the pears, which signifies its importance. The story of the pears is also a subtle allusion to the tree in paradise, and is one of the many references to biblical passages in the text. Augustine says that the law against theft is part of the law written in the hearts of men , which is a reference to natural law. As proof he says that even thieves cannot stand being the victim of theft. Stealing is bad, but this wasn"t the major point that he wanted to make. The actual doing of an evil act has reduced moral value. What is really important is the mindset and the will. Augustine a deontologist because he focuses on the intention, not the actual outcome.
