Augustine of Hippo, the Confessions, bks 1-6 - Introduction to Philosophy

Support my work here - / sadler
Philosophy tutorials - reasonio.wordp...
In this lecture/discussion session from my Fall 2013 Introduction to Philosophy class at Marist College, we begin our study of St. Augustine's work, The Confessions. In this particular session, I discuss why we are studying the work, lead the class into thinking about the range of desires and loves Augustine experiences and tells us about, and briefly sketch out his early life. We then discuss some of the rudiments of his moral theory, and focus on two important incidents -- the theft of the pears in book 2 and the death of his close friend in book 4

[@ericabutts2906]

I’m reading this book right now. I like how Augustine clearly is gripped by this insatiable desire for deeper meaning and his soul isn’t satisfied by shallow things. Eating the material world never makes him full. Even though we all struggle with our love for sex, he knows what is most important deep down. I feel like I praise my lovers the way Augustine praises god. Except people are imperfect and bound to make mistakes. God doesn’t make mistakes. But at least lovers talk back, they can hold you and kiss you. What does god do? He’s silent. So im struggling with loving god as much as Augustine does. Yet I want to have a connection with the eternal, the immortal perfection. Wish I was in your class!

[@dove717]

Sadly It took a lockdown to dust of my book collection and discover these wonderful works at 62 years of age!! Thank you for inviting us to your class.

[@GregoryBSadler]

You're very welcome

[@kennyg03]

Really glad I found your channel professor. I have always been interested in all of the topics of philosophy you discuss in all your videos. They really give me more of an in depth look on various topics. Keep em coming!

[@GregoryBSadler]

Glad you enjoy the videos. No worries about me leaving off shooting and posting -- there's enough texts, thinkers, and topics that I could probably do this the rest of my life

[@josemiranda2104]

You make Saint Augustine very relatable. Thank you.

[@GregoryBSadler]

You're very welcome!

[@virtual_warbirds]

This is an excellent way to present the Confessions to undergrad students!

[@GregoryBSadler]

Great book for them to engage with

[@brunorosa2176]

Thank you very much for providing such a lesson online! I really appreciate this class

[@GregoryBSadler]

You're welcome!

[@GregoryBSadler]

shifting to a new work in the Intro class -- Augustine's Confessions

[@sycofya1677]

Gregory B. Sadler i just found a copy of this book in the dumpster.. I came here because I wanted to know what it was about.. speaks volumes to me

[@sycofya1677]

Gregory B. Sadler i feel divided at this point in my life as well

[@a.s.2112]

This is helping me prep for a mid-temr, thank you very much for sharing your lectures, Professor Sadler!

[@GregoryBSadler]

Glad to read it, but where are you that has mid-terms in December?

[@a.s.2112]

@@GregoryBSadler lolll, good question! I'm in Canada taking year-long classes. Fall and winter semester. So the end of the fall semester is our mid-term as opposed to our final. It's going to be a long year 😅

[@GregoryBSadler]

@@a.s.2112 Indeed it will!

[@terijune3307]

Very interesting. I wanted to hear more about his role in doctrines of the Church.

[@renemacias745]

Tengo 20 de Los 22 libros de San Agustin. Donde puedo conseguir Los Tomos 3 y 6 gracias por su ayuda!!!

[@ctfrancia]

you know, I'm a History and Portuguese major and a Religious Studies major, and all I can see now is Philosophy and want to work towards a PhD because of this. Throughout my studies, everything (from wars to cults) come back to religion and subsequently: philosophies. I love it. (Oh, and I'm a USMC vet.)

[@GregoryBSadler]

I'm glad to read that you want to study philosophy!

[@TheSteinmetzen]

This lecture doesn't necessarily need to refer to relious ideal. One can have a feeling that there is something bigger than ourselves out there. It could be God. Great dimension to ethics I didn't realize...sort of like another version of Aristotle.

[@GregoryBSadler]

+C. Nathan Chavez You might want to take a look at Augustine's argument for the existence of God from truth in On Freedom of Choice -- same sort of idea going on. Whatever ends up being the highest, we'll call that God., he says there. . . .

[@TheSteinmetzen]

Thx. I will definitely check it out.

[@TheSteinmetzen]

+Gregory B. Sadler  It would make things easier if we could simply know that God really is the same thing as ethics and science. I think existence is sort of like a matrix (nothing to do with the ideas of the movie series (I don't think)), in which there are certain things that have an ethical form (perhaps Natural Law)...but this seems to have a lot of gray area. Perhaps religions allows us to feel safer because of their organized manner -- something we can rely on -- even when they have inconsistencies reminiscent of large companies. Perhaps if God is the sea, religion not perfect, is the ship that is traversed upon this sea, getting people where they need to go. Or maybe man's comprehension needs the filter of religion. Perhaps this is why there is a rift between what we get from science and attempt to compare it to imperfect allegories. Perhaps absolute clarity would be blinding to us a la Plato's Allegory of the cave.

[@GregoryBSadler]

C. Nathan Chavez Yes, as the song goes: perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. . . .

[@TheSteinmetzen]

Interesting...perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, the ball is left in humanity's court. I had to listen to the song a few times. Very powerful words. Not necessarily to be a believer...but not to just sitting there passively not contemplating anything important.

[@maryannelarsen1186]

Did any of these student's read the assignments?

[@GregoryBSadler]

You're asking about a class I taught a decade ago

[@knowthycell]

I don't think they read the assignment. But much thanks Dr Sadler

[@GregoryBSadler]

Sometimes that's the case

[@trenthogan4212]

19 is the legal age to drink in most parts of Canada although the legal age is 18 in Quebec and PEI. Just saying....Ontario is not too far away from Marist College. :D :))

[@GregoryBSadler]

+Trent Hogan Well. . . that would be quite a drive. I can't imagine at that age having the patience to go that far to drink. I know we certainly didn't

[@trenthogan4212]

The bars around Niagara falls on weekends are full of 19 yr old Americans drinking and partying, I assume most are from Buffalo and other nearby areas.

[@GregoryBSadler]

Buffalo is about 5 hours from the Hudson valley, if I remember rightly

[@trenthogan4212]

yeah, that's quite a haul.

[@selinahernandez199]

Did you ever talk about how God’s punishment are merciful in Augustine’s life?

[@GregoryBSadler]

Not the main topic of interest in an Intro to Philosophy class

[@poisonedcheeseproductions]

great teaching! your students are dry tho!

[@GregoryBSadler]

Thanks!