Augustine Signs And Things

In the first section of Saint Augustine book, book one, Augustine begins by stating that in order to understand the true meaning of scripture, the student studying the text must be able to decipher between the ideas of “signs” and “things”. Book one spends a majority of the textual evidence focusing on the idea of “things” or “things qua things” meaning to look at things, the way they are, or in their absolute truest form. Things are items that can be used to bring joy, happiness and love to human beings, but Augustine argues that should not be the ultimate goal. In fact, Augustine argues that things should be used to enjoy and bring appreciation for the presence of the Lord Almighty. Augustine then states there should be a greater order in

This is where Augustine exemplified a framework theory conducted on the connection between “signs” and “things”. Augustine begins by stating words can be considered signs. The clear words are the natural signs, with a direct affiliation to a thing, for example, when a person bleeds, it has an obvious relationship to the cut the individual is suffering from. The harder words are other terms in which human beings give an individualized definition to, in order to to better communicate the desired thing, or end result. An example of this type of sign would be the concepts and definitions of love, hate, passion or beauty, in other terms, something that contains no material or external representation. Augustine concludes book two by restating the connection between the ideas of “things” and “signs”, but adds that the most important aspect to take away from this section of the text, is that the meanings of signs is constructed through the thought of a human individuals. Therefore, Augustine concludes that the knowledge of God an individual can hold is kept

The third book in Augustine’s “On Christian Doctrine”, is constructed with the steps or procedures a studying practitioner should adopt to gain a better understanding and conceptualization of scripture. The first being step to adopt is to be able to interpret what is the literal language and what is considered the figurative language. This step relies on the individual’s intelligence, if the scripture being studied is looked from a literal perspective and does not conclude to making sense or leads to the notion of loving thy neighbor, then the passage was meant figuratively. Augustine’s closing thought in book three states that the ultimate parameter in scripture should conclude to love being the ultimate goal. If an individual is not receiving that notion, then that individual is not gaining a true understanding of the word of God. In the final passage of the book, section four, Augustine takes this section to respond to the critics or to the Christians who believe that to know the scripture, there is no human instruction needed. In an obvious sense, Augustine does not agree with the practicing Christians who believe