Psychology, Philosophy, and Theology: St. Augustine of Hippo

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Aurelius Augustinus, better known as St. Augustine of Hippo, was an important figure through which the Greek philosophical tradition and the Judeo-Christian religious traditions became a unified pillar of thought in the early church.  He is one of the most important authority figures of medieval philosophy, who continues to have a lasting influence today. His works are rich in philosophical, as well as psychological insights, of which much of modern day thought is based upon. He is especially influential to those who are sympathetic to the religious traditions, which his writings and work helped to form, while much Augustinian thought is worthy of philosophical and psychological focus, even for those who are not in agreement with his theological views.  Several significant contributions come out of the metamorphosis of his Greco-Roman inheritance, including his explanations of belief and authority, of knowledge and illumination, the importance and centrality of the will, along with his conceptions of the events of human history. 

Augustine’s African homeland was a wealthy metropolis of the Roman Empire, where Christianity was the dominant religion of his day.  The Christianity of Augustine’s day was violently opposed to the traditions of old Rome, though it may not have spread as quickly without the prosperity and unity that Rome had brought to the ancient world. Augustine’s mother seems to have had a lasting influence on his eventual conversion to Christianity, though this was not immediately apparent from his egotistical and platonic youth.  His father was mostly apathetic to religion, though he was eventually baptized on his deathbed, and had no real influence on Augustine’s conversion and religious thought processes.  Augustine was particularly influenced by the similarities between Christian and Platonic thought, with the workable combinations of the two systems of thought clearly reflected in his most important works.  His writings bridged the gap between ancient pagan Rome and the Christian Middle Ages. Augustine’s system of thought has become a powerful intellectual force from the middle ages even to today.

Augustine discussed several psychological topics as well as his philosophical views, including infant motivation, the origin of speech, memory, grief, and unconscious motivations in dreams.  He emphasized the self-seeking asocial nature of the infant, and the self-serving nature of children’s prayers.  He argued that the fear of punishment in the educational setting interferes with children’s natural curiosity, which is normally conducive to the learning experience. He also discussed the emotions, with his descriptions of grief showing great sensitivity and insight.  His observations of grief show its pervasiveness and the overwhelming religious turmoil that sometimes accompanies this strong emotion.  He observed that consolations along with new associations and ideas that come with the passage of time contribute to the dispersal of grief in those who are mourning a significant loss. 

Augustine’s references to memory drew a clear distinction between recognition and recall, arguing that in sensory memory, we only remember the images of things.  He believed that the nature of the image is obscured in affective memory.  Though Augustine believed in an inborn knowledge, he rejected the idea that the soul recalls knowledge from a previous existence, which was inconsistent with his theology. 

Augustine outspokenly noted that thoughts such as fornication, which are often subdued during waking hours, can be very strong during dream sleep.  He pointed out that peace of conscience need not be disturbed by illicit dreams, though these dreams are obviously impossible without the memory of past experience.  He also hinted at the unconscious in his discussions of memory, asserting that memories are sometimes deeply buried in the human psyche.  He argued against the idea that these embedded covert memories could be controlled by reason during sleep.  Though Augustine was sometimes quite blunt in his discussions, his important contributions to psychological thought should not be dismissed as merely Freudian. 

Augustine’s psychological thought must be viewed in context of his philosophical world view and his theological ideology of human beings.  He viewed worldly curiosity as a spiritually dangerous intellectual device stemming from the sins of Adam and Eve, which may have delayed the development of scientific methods of understanding somewhat. Nevertheless, his works are rich in philosophical as well as psychological insights, of which much of modern day thought is based upon.  Augustine is reflectively seen as one of the greatest philosophers and psychologists of early history, as well as a noted theologian of the early church. 

References:

St. Augustine. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 

Augustine: Augustine the African James, J. O’Donnell

History of Psychology: Ideas and Context.  Viney, Wayne, and King. 

 Aurelius Augustinus, St. Augustine of Hippo, Greek, philosophy, Judeo, Christian, religious tradition, church, psychology, theology.