Augustinianism

   Augustine's influence has scarcely waned since he first wrote. In medieval philosophy, Augustine's authority was second only to that of the Bible itself, and he influenced all the great thinkers, some, such as Anselm and Bonaventure, very deeply. At the Reformation, Augustine was claimed by both sides, a process made easier not only by the vast bulk of Augustine's work but also by the fact that he changed his mind on several important issues. Augustine was by no means discarded at the Enlightenment, and his influence on Descartes and Malebranche is well documented. In contemporary philosophy Augustine's ideas are still keenly discussed: his views on language, memory, and the mind are being carefully studied. An 'Augustinian' philosopher is, however, most likely to be committed to the distinctive anti-Pelagian views of Augustine, that is, his emphasis on the grace of God over against human will, and, perhaps, Augustine's concomitant insistence that evil is not a real thing, but merely a defect.

   See Anselm of Canterbury; Bonaventure; Descartes, René; Malebranche, Nicolas; philosophy, medieval; scholasticism

   Further reading: Fitzgerald 1999; Marrou 1957