Running head: AUGUSTINE AND SKEPTICISM

Augustine and Skepticism

Tammy Fallin
PHI/105
July 12, 2015
University of Phoenix

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Augustine and Skepticism

In life there is skepticism and can vary among humans. Skepticism is an idea that nothing
can be known or factual. After Plato, two very different skeptics developed through out society,
they were Academics and Pyrrhonist. The academics thought that there was no knowledge and
the Pyrrhonists was not sure is knowledge was possible. Another skeptic was St Augustine who
lived around 354-430 CE. Augustine did not believe teachings of previous philosophers as he felt
his own theories explained more in-depth and appropriate. Augustine developed three refutations
about skepticism and was determined to prove that skepticism was wrong.
St. Augustines first refutation involves the principle of non-contradiction. The principle
of non-contradiction is that of a proposition and its contradiction cannot both be true. According
to this principle, only one or the other must be true as they both cannot be true. For example, if
two people share a bed and one says the bed is as hard as a rock, and the other says it is as soft as
a pillow, only one of these statements can be true. Augustine realized that if a statement had two
different versions only one of the statements could be true.
The second refutation of Augustine is similar to Descartes statement of I think, therefore
I am. This refutation is held on the belief that by doubting ones existence they are proving that
they do exists. Augustine felt that by thinking, or second guessing that one has proven very
existence. St. Augustine baffled philosophers of his time with his theories as his thoughts didnt
conform ideas of previous philosophers.
The third refutation consist of sense perception, Augustine thought sense of perception
gives a fundamental level of knowledge. Sense of perception allows one to perceive how
something is based and how it appears. An example of this would be the stick appears bent at
the point it enters the water (Moore, B.N., & Bruder, K, 2011 p. 82). Stating that a stick appears

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to bent and by not saying the stick is bent makes the statement true and an example of
knowledge. Augustine saw these three insights as a refutation of skepticism and regarded this
refutation as highly important, but he did not try to derive anything else of great importance from
them, (Moore, B.N., & Bruder, K, 2011, p 82).
St. Augustine refuted that nothing could be known and set out to prove that he being a
nationally known philosopher can make case that refutes skepticism. Contemporary philosophers
did not agree with Augustine, I feel that his refutations make more sense than that of the skeptics
arguments. I do not believe that we as humans have no knowledge or gaining knowledge is not
possible. I believe that we can gain knowledge by everything we do, and our perception of
drinking, eating, feeling, and smelling teaches us and our perception of these gain knowledge.

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Reference

Moore, B. N., & Bruder, K. (2011). Philosophy: The power of ideas (8th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill.