Perception, Sensibility, and Moral Motivation in Augustine: A Stoic-Platonic SynthesisThis book argues that Augustine assimilated the Stoic theory of perception into his theories of motivation, affectivity, therapy for the passions, and moral progress. Using his sermons to elucidate his treatises, Sarah Catherine Byers demonstrates how Augustine enriched Stoic cognitivism with Platonism to develop a fuller and coherent theory of action. That theory underlies his account of moral development, including his account of the mind's reception of grace. By analyzing Augustine's engagement with Cicero, Seneca, Plotinus, Ambrose, Jerome, Origen, and Philo of Alexandria, Byers sheds new light on a major thinker of the early Christian world whose work is of critical importance for understanding key and recurring themes in Western philosophy. |
Contents
Perception and the Language of the Mind I | 1 |
Motivation | 23 |
Emotions | 55 |
Preliminary Passions | 100 |
Preliminaries to Good Emotions | 127 |
Cognitive Therapies | 151 |
Inspiration | 172 |
Appendix LText of Confessions 8 1 1 2627 in English and Latin | 215 |
233 | |
245 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham action adapted affective anger animus appetitus Apuleius arbitrium assent Augustine says Augustine thinks Augustine’s Augustine’s account Augustinian Bafiez belief called caused Christ Christian Chrysippus Cicero citing City of God cognitive cognitive therapy conf Confessions conflict consent continence definition describes desire difficult Diogenes Laertius dispositions distinction doubt doxography dubitative emotions Epictetus epistemological eternal find first free choice Gellius Genesis given God’s grace Greek habitual happiness horme hormetic human imperative impulse inferior influence intentional object judgment justification kind Latin Lord means mind morally bad motivating impression one’s Origen pain perception Persius person Philo philosophical Platonic Plotinus preliminary passions prerehearsal prevenient grace Psalm question Quintilian rational reason reference Rufinus Sarah sayables scriptural Seneca sense sermons Simplicianus someone soul specific Stobaeus Stoic Stoicism sufficient suggestio temporal term theory therapy things thought Timaeus tion Trans translation trin Tusc virtue voluntas voluntatis