Philosophy

             Augustine on the Nature of Humanity.
             Humans have struggled throughout the centuries with the complexity and ambiguity of our humanity. The question of who or what we are as humans is difficult one and does not have an easy answer. Our first understanding of humanity is based within the framework of the worldview in which we were raised within. However, through the process of maturing, it is natural to raise doubts of what we hold to be true is indeed accurate. There is no real proof concerning these areas of reality and humanity, so in one sense, life could be like Plato's cave analogy- what if God was just giving our minds a diversion to keep us occupied? Or what about the matrix correlation- what if our minds were just programmed to believe in a fake reality? There are many questions; therefore, humans throughout the centuries have come up with a variety of "answers." Two prominent ways to view human life come from the great philosophers: Plato and Saint Augustine. These men devoted much of their lives to pondering over these great questions of human life; however, they take drastically different views. Platonic thought has shaped much of the western world. Augustine, in contrast, came from a Christian perspective. Although Augustine never truly separated himself from the platonic influence, I would side with Augustine's views on humanity, the soul, and our relationship with God. I have been raised with a Christian worldview, so the majority of my views coincide with Augustine's rather than Plato's. I do not agree with Plato's view of humanity, although my thoughts are most likely still influenced by him, like Augustine was. By examining both Plato and Augustine's view on humanity and the soul, I will proceed to give my own beliefs on this particular subject also.
             Although I do not agree with Plato and his notions about the nature of our humanity, I think it is still important to examine his philosophy since it has had a great impact on the western world.