Comparing Augustine's Philosophy: Augustine, Nietzsche, And Thoreau

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Recommended: St Augustine's Philosophy on evil

Leone 1 Anna Leone Philosophy Ventimiglia 12/17/15 Leone’s Philosophy Plato, Augustine, Nietzsche, and Thoreau all provide very convincing arguments about what is the right way to live, however from what we have learned this semester, it is fair to say, I do not agree with just one of these philosophers. After listening to the philosophies and theories of each, I can relate best to Augustine and Thoreau’s ideals. Between the two of them, I believe that if I pick out select points made by each, I can come up with the best philosophy for how I should live my own life. Augustine has a very interesting background regarding his story of sinner to saint. The story of Augustine and the beggar is one that speaks out to …show more content…

“And I strained to perceive what I now heard, that free-will was the cause of our doing ill.” (The Confessions of Saint Augustine, 1996, p.154) After reading Book Seven, Augustine’s questioning of evil is understandable. If God is truly good, the question lies, where does evil come from? His overall idea that we create most of the evil in the world because of our right to choose, also known as free will, is very accurate. From how I have been brought up and my views on the world so far, I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. I believe that we have free will and with that free will we can either do good or bad in the world, but the choice is ultimately ours. This idea can also be linked to Augustine’s belief that one can be changed through God. If we have the right to choose good or evil, then those choices will shape us overall. For example, if someone decides to choose evil and give into their worst desires, but later on in life decides to choose good, then they have changed themselves for the good with God’s help of free will. That being said, I do not agree with Augustine’s points that the evil may be a part of a larger good. When the Sandy Hook shooting occurred, I was old enough to

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