Philosophy Bites – Michael Lamb on Augustine on Hope

Intro

In this episode of Philosophy Bites, Michael Lamb discusses Saint Augustine’s views on hope. While Augustine is often seen as a pessimist, his ideas about hope are often overlooked. Lamb explores Augustine’s understanding of hope and its relationship to virtue and faith.

Main Takeaways

Augustine’s Understanding of Evil and Goodness

• Augustine believed that evil is a privation of goodness and that all things that exist are good because God who created them is good.
• He thought that even the devil had a part of his nature that was good.

Hope and Cultivating Virtue

• Augustine recognized that even those who are corrupted or vicious can be changed, and we can cultivate virtue to become better human beings.
• He emphasized the importance of humility in recognizing our blind spots and striving to be more humble.

Augustine’s View of Hope and Virtue

• Augustine’s view of hope is nuanced and older than modern optimism.
• Hope is a virtue that needs to be directed towards the right objects in the right ways and amounts.
• He celebrates hope for temporal goods and believes that the heavenly city is already happening here and now.

Augustine’s Triad of Virtues

• Augustine’s triad of virtues includes hope, faith, and love, which are connected.
• He believed that hope, if rightly ordered toward God and temporal goods, is a matter of virtue, even if the hoped-for outcomes do not happen.

Summary

Augustine’s Understanding of Evil and Goodness

Augustine viewed evil as a privation of goodness and believed that everything that exists is fundamentally good because it is created by a good God. This includes even the devil, who has a part of his nature that is good. Augustine’s analysis of evil and corruption provides a framework for understanding hope as a desire for a different way of being in the world.

Hope and Cultivating Virtue

Augustine recognized that even those who are corrupted or vicious can be changed. He emphasized the cultivation of virtue as a means to become better human beings. This includes fostering humility, acknowledging our own blind spots, and striving to be more humble. Augustine’s own experiences of deep hope came from his recognition of his own sinful tendencies and his reliance on God’s grace to overcome them.

Augustine’s View of Hope and Virtue

Augustine’s understanding of hope goes beyond modern optimism. He sees hope as a virtue that needs to be directed towards the right objects in the right ways and amounts. While he celebrates hope for temporal goods, he also believes that the heavenly city, or the ideal way of being, is already happening in the present. Augustine’s view of virtue is influenced by Roman virtue concepts, such as finding the middle way between two extremes, as well as by Stoic virtue.

Augustine’s Triad of Virtues

Augustine’s triad of virtues includes hope, faith, and love, which are interconnected. He believed that hope, when rightly ordered toward God and temporal goods, is a matter of virtue, even if the desired outcomes do not happen. Augustine warns against the vices of presumption and despair, advocating for a balanced perspective that acknowledges reality without becoming despairing and sees possibility in the face of challenges.

Conclusion

Augustine’s understanding of hope offers a nuanced perspective that goes beyond simplistic notions of optimism. He sees hope as a virtue that can be cultivated and directed towards the right objects. By recognizing the goodness in all things, even in the face of evil and corruption, Augustine inspires us to strive for virtue and to rely on God’s grace in our pursuit of a better way of being.