Confessions book 8

What is Augustine’s “verdict” about the importance and limitation of classical wisdom for the Christian?

Augustine decided that classical wisdom is quite important for the Christian, but that truth comes from the Scripture. He agrees that man needs to be led out of the "cave" and into reality, but that it is God that does that, not man. Classical wisdom for the Christian is good to know, and should be known , but should also be known to be pagan, and not the same type of truth as the Scripture is.

Confessions Book Six

What does Augustine discover about human limitations and the consequent need to trust?

Augustine learned that the human limitation prevents one from being free from addiction, and that he needs to trust in God to free him. He learned that he could not change by his own power, but required greater power than himself to break his immoral habituation and be free from the sin around him. This would force him to work with God rather than against Him in order to do what is right according to God.

Confessions book 5

How good a speaker is Ambrose, and what does Augustine learn about rhetoric from listening to Ambrose’s sermons?

Ambrose was a magnificent speaker, and combines content and form into one way of speaking that forces you to see the content even if you only want to hear the eloquence of it. Through this experience, Augustine learns that rhetoric can sound good, but also should have good content through which people will be moved, not by the words alone, but also by what the words mean. This helps settle the war between content and form that Augustine was wrestling with by showing him the use of both.

The Prince

1) What, according to Machiavelli, is the basis of political authority?

According to Machiavelli, the prince needs to be liked by the people, and must deal with people who don't like him in certain ways. This would build a good unity within the people, allowing the prince will be able to guide the people to help him act with less resistance. Another aspect of authority is the ability to command the army under the prince. With this, the prince can use the army to press, or prevent certain movements to help rule adequately.

2) How does this theory differ from the others of his day?

Machiavelli believes that the consequences of actions are more important than their morality. This means that the prince shouldn't try to do good works because it is good, but instead because he needs the help of the followers in order to work at his best capacity. Another way of looking at this is pragmatism. The prince should act out of practicality rather than morality.

3) When he claims that a prince must assume many guises, what is Machiavelli saying about his understanding of human nature?

He is basically saying that human nature can't please everyone, so you must be a different person to different people in order to do just that. Another way of putting it is that human nature cant fill everything you must fill, so you must wear different hats to do that. It is more about survival as a prince than about being good to the state.

4) What is the role of artifice in political authority?

The role of  artifice in political authority is to be used when force doesn't work. Machiavelli uses the analogy of the prince having to be both a lion and a fox. The lion can protect itself from wolves, but will get ensnared in traps, and vice versa for the fox. Therefore, in order to overcome both, the prince must use both force in certain situations, and artifice in the others.

5) What might Machiavelli's prince have in common with Castigation's courtier?

Machiavelli's prince and Castigation's courtier both talk about how the prince/courtier should lead their life in order to be the most influential and successful with the resources they have.

Confessions chapter 3

When Augustine breaks the law and steals pears, how can we see that the freedom he feels is only an illusion?

We can see it as a counterfeit freedom rather than the real thing. His freedom of being able to take whatever he wishes isn't real freedom because he is still bound by the law, and is then bound by guilt for what he has done, but with God, we can live without that guilt, and be free, not because we are prohibited by God's law, but because we are saved by that law.

History Channel part 2

A. Having viewed more of the HC documentary, how would you use this source if you were researching a specific event within the Middle Ages?

I personally would use this as either a "cause and effect" source, or a contextual source. This documentary gives a good big picture of historical facts, while giving a lot of detail, but not enough for one specific event. When researching a topic, this would make the time a little easier to grasp in my mind,

  B. What would you say are the limitations of this source of information about the historical past?

Above all, this must be seen as an interpretation, not a primary source of the exact events. Along with that, we also must remember that the facts of the past have been filtered, and all of the facts have not been included.

The Confessions

What do we expect of an autobiography today, and how may we need to broaden our understanding of this form of writing to appreciate the Confessions?

In an autobiography today, we expect a story of someone's life from their view, and the great things they may have accomplished. In order to appreciate the Confessions, we may need to see this work as more of a personal journal of growth. Rather than it being a "rags to riches" type story, it is more likely to be a struggle with truth, and knowing God. I expect this book to be more of a discovery of the nature of God than the knowledge of one person's life.