Teaching of Saint Augustine on Demonstration of Gods Existence

(Augustinian Theodicy)
Submitted by: Maite Caryl F. Mana-ay, RMT
Submitted to: Fr. Czar Emmanuel Alvarez, OSA
Theodicy is defined as the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of
the existence of evil. It is a modification of a French word Thodice from the Greek words
theos which means god and dik as judgment.
Augustinian Theodicy is summarized as follows:

God is perfect. The world he created reflects that perfection.

Humans were created with free will.

Sin and death entered the world through Adam and Eve, and their disobedience.

Adam and Eves disobedience brought about disharmony in both humanity and
Creation.

The whole of humanity experiences this disharmony because we were all seminally
present in the loins of Adam.

Natural evil is consequence of this disharmony of nature brought about by the Fall.

God is justified in not intervening because the suffering is a consequence of human

action.

DE LIBERO ARBITRIO (ON FREE CHOICE OF THE WILL)

De libero arbitrio (libri tres) (On Free Choice of the Will) is a book by Augustine of
Hippo about the freedom of will. Young Augustine wrote it in three volumes, one 387389 in
Rome, after his baptism, and the other two between 391 and 395, after his priestly ordination
in Africa.
Augustine started De libero arbitrio as a part of a series of works against Manichaeism
and argued in favor of aspects of Scepticism. Augustine challenged Determinism in the first
volume and investigated the conditions of the existence of God and knowledge in the other
two parts.
De libero Arbitrio is a dialogue between him (descartes) and Evodius (interlocutor).

Structure of the book

Book 1 begins by Augustine's pupil asking whether God is responsible for -- because the
cause of -- evil. (Problem of Evil)
Book 2 asks why God gave free will to human beings.
Book 3, the question is whether divine foreknowledge is compatible with genuine freedom of
the human will.
Book 1 : Problem of Evil
In book one, Augustine's pupil asking whether God is responsible for -- because the cause of
-- evil.
Augustine believed that evil or hell exists as a punishment to sin or caused by
humanitys abused of free will. According to the conclusion, it is certainly not God who is to
blame for the presence of evil, but rather man, who abuses his God-given free will to do
wrong.
The conclusions that we have reached thus far indicate that a mind that is in control, one
that possesses virtue, cannot be made slave to inordinate desire by anything equal or
superior to it, because such a thing would be just, or by anything inferior to it, be- cause
such a thing would be too weak. Just one possibility remains: only its own will and free
choice can make the mind a companion of cupidity. (1.11)
He also differentiated Eternal Law from Temporal Law where Eternal Law is unchangeable,
perfectly ordered, stamped on our minds and commands that the soul should be ruled by
reason the latter, is changeable, determined by human beings, must be derived from eternal
law, must be just and preserves peace and human society.
I think you also see that men derive all that is just and lawful in temporal law from
eternal law. (1.6)
Evildoing is neglecting eternal things and pursuing temporal things. (1.16)
He introduced the cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice and wisdom.
A good will allows us to have the virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice;
possessing these virtues makes our life happy. Therefore, it lies in our own wills power to
be happy or not. (1.13)

Now consider whether prudence seems to you to consist in the knowledge what to seek
and what to avoid.
And is not fortitude that state of the soul in which we despise all misfortunes and the loss
of things not resting in our power?
Then do you agree that temperance is that state of soul which controls and checks desire
in regard to those things which it is shameful to desire?
He goes on to argue that the person who has -- and chooses to maintain -- a good will, is
going to have each of these virtues.