All About Augustine

Augustine as a man interested me, no, rather he fascinated me. From his early past, to his waning years, he never ceased to amaze me. There were some parts of this passage that really captured my eye, and i would like to share these eye thieves to everyone. Numero uno: "above all, by the hope in their doctrine a scientific explanation of natural and its most mysterious phenomena." He was looking for an explanation to whats around him and such, and this explanation was scientific, not some theological belief, which later he turns to. But first, we must go to to the root of the explanation(scientific)-searching, namely the Manichæans. They claimed to have all the answers, having them served on a silver plate, by Faustus, the all knowing doctor. You just had to ask him a question, and poof, you'll get the answers. Well, Augustine was highly disappointed when he finally met Faustus, and broke away from the Manichæans doctrine.

Augustine returned to his quest of explanation, and finally reached faith. Ah, the word faith. How often it is sought by one, despised by others. The backbone of the masses, but the scourge of others. Augustine found Ambrose in 383, and finally he had found his truth. He becomes acquainted with the doctrines and beliefs. In doing so, he started to attack the old theories, tearing them down brick by brick. "They destroy everything, and build up nothing." In my eyes, his pure hatred stemmed from their failures for him; their lack of giving him the knowledge he oh so sought. He went on a KO streak, one by one going after his past explanations. It really goes to show the power an opposing opinion has on a person or idea. He was way more influenced by falsifying the past theories that confirming his new found faith. I feel that this is in many cases, and that does not include Galileo and the Church.

A decent sized portion of The City of God Book V was devoted to the whole twin thing. How the ends of twins are not the same, but different because of the positions of the constellations. But the positions are hardly changed, only but a few minuted past. But yet such a small change in the stars means a drastic change in a life. Bologna he cries. Hogwash. What makes these changes in twins due to the stars, and not some other reasons.

This reminds me of the "God of Gaps" Today, we "know" that these changes are from genetics, rather than some change in the sky. Genetics were not known, so differences needed an explanation, so the positions of stars were fitted to explain the differences in twins, and all other things. It was invented to fit an job opening, due only to necessity and not based on qualifications.

Cicero to me seems almost to be a downer. If there is such a thing of fate, then there is no free will, which is a scary thought. Not being able to have control of your future and having it already predetermined is a belief that people do not generally like. How can one like to think that you have no control. No ability to change your surroundings, gives me the chills. But yet, what about the idea that their is fate, but it already knows how you will choose, thereby not robbing you of free will. I can see it as saying that we have already chose, and that destiny knows our choice. Its not predetermined in the sense that we have no choice, but rather it was predetermined by us. Henceforth, fate can coincide the free will, but only if the order is rectified in you ideas.